The National Park College (NPC) Nighthawk baseball team (25-13-1) split its National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 2 doubleheader with South Arkansas College at Majestic Park Thursday, falling, 3-2, in the opener and outlasting the Stars to secure a 14-12 win in the finale.
NPC came up short in a pitcher’s duel in game one. National Park College grabbed the lead in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single from freshman right fielder Ian McCracken (Carrollton, Texas). After the Stars took the lead with two runs in the top of the fourth inning, the Nighthawks answered with an RBI sacrifice groundout from freshman shortstop Cam Landy (Perth, Australia) to tie the game, 2-2. South Arkansas College regained the lead with a run scored in the top of the fifth inning and managed to hold the Nighthawks’ offense at bay throughout the remainder of the game, leaving three NPC baserunners stranded over the final three innings to steal a game one victory.
Sophomore righthander Bryan Raitz (Dallas, Texas) surrendered three runs on eight hits with five strikeouts over seven innings in the loss. Landy and McCracken each drove in one run for the game.
From start to finish, game two was a high-scoring battle full of fireworks for each team. Once again, the Nighthawks scored first, with McCracken driving in a run in the bottom of the first inning for an early lead. After the Stars took the lead in the top of the second inning, 2-1, NPC rallied for six runs in the bottom of the frame to regain the lead. Sophomore second baseman Que Walton (Atlanta, Georgia) smacked a two-run double, followed by a three-run homer from McCracken and an RBI single from sophomore third baseman Landon Hennen (Choudrant, Louisiana) to cap the big inning.
Despite the deficit, the Stars would not go away quietly. South Arkansas College rallied
for four runs in the top of the fourth inning, pulling within one run, 7-6. In the
bottom of the fourth inning, NPC caught fire in the batter’s box, plating five runs
to extend the lead. Sophomore center fielder Ryan McClure (Double Oak, Texas) and
Walton hit RBI singles, followed by a bases-loaded walk from sophomore first baseman
Josh Wacaser (Bentonville) and a two-run single from McCracken to give NPC a 12-6
advantage.
National Park College added additional runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings, with Landy driving in a run in the fifth and freshman left fielder Ty Ruby (Greenbrier) knocking a solo home run over the right field wall in the sixth. South Arkansas College would rally once more in the game, driving in six runs in the top of the seventh inning to make it a 14-12 game, but NPC’s defense quelled the comeback attempt, securing the series split.
Freshman hurler Joey Staiger (Tucson, Arizona) gave up six runs on seven hits with one strikeout over three and one-third innings in the start. Freshman reliever Jackson McDaniel (Conway) earned the win in relief, allowing four runs on three hits with three strikeouts over three and one-third innings. Hennen pitched the final two innings for NPC, recording three strikeouts to earn his first save of the season. Landy, McClure, McCracken and Walton led the Nighthawks at the plate, finishing with three hits apiece in the win.
NPC resumes its NJCAA Region 2 series against South Arkansas College Saturday, April 12, in El Dorado, with the doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
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