The National Park College (NPC) Nighthawks softball team (18-14, 9-1) swept its National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 2 series against North Arkansas College at Majestic Park Sunday, earning a 10-0 win in game one and taking a 17-0 victory in the finale.
Before the games, NPC honored its six sophomores—Jessica Suire (New Iberia, Louisiana), Bailee Cowell (Clarksville), Karlee Marrall (Perryville), Ryanne Lefford (Beebe), Gracie Fowler (Texarkana) and Tayler Southern (Winnsboro, Louisiana)—for their outstanding contributions to Nighthawks softball.
Cowell took command from the circle in game one, striking out 12 Pioneers in a run-ruled complete game shutout. Southern helped NPC grab the lead in the first inning, smacking an RBI single to center field and later coming in to score on a fielding error. In the bottom of the third inning, freshman second baseman Alexis Ortego (Eunice, Louisiana) drove in Suire with an RBI sacrifice fly, extending NPC’s lead to 3-0.
The Nighthawks went yard twice in the bottom of the third inning. Southern led off the inning with a solo home run, followed by a two-run blast from Lefford later in the inning to extend the lead to 6-0. NPC added its final four runs of the ballgame in the bottom of the fourth inning. Southern drove in two runs with a double to left field, followed by RBI doubles from freshman designated player Maci Graves (Whitesboro, Texas) and freshman third baseman Bre Phillips (Conway) to cap the scoring. With North Arkansas College unable to answer in the top of the fifth inning, NPC cruised to victory.
Cowell allowed just two hits over five innings while striking out 12 to earn her 21st career victory for NPC. Southern led the Nighthawks at the plate, finishing three-for-three with four RBI in the win.
NPC’s bats remained hot in the finale, taking a three-run lead in the bottom of the first inning and never looking back. Graves opened up the scoring with an RBI single to left field, followed by an RBI sacrifice fly from Marrall and an RBI single from Fowler. The Nighthawks plated their fourth run of the ballgame in the bottom of the second inning, with freshman right fielder Sara Camplain (Cabot) driving in Ortego on a line drive to center field.
National Park College opened the floodgates in the bottom of the third inning, plating nine additional runs. Suire drove in two runs with a single to center field, followed by an RBI single from Ortego. Camplain sacrificed to bring in the fourth run of the inning, followed by RBI singles from Southern and Phillips and a three-run home run from Marrall to extend the lead to 13-0. The Nighthawks added their final runs of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Southern drove in a run on a sacrifice groundout, followed by Phillips and Lefford scoring on a fielding error and Ortego scoring on a passed ball for the 17th run of the game. With the Pioneers unable to score in the top of the fifth inning, NPC secured the series sweep.
Fowler got the start in the circle for NPC, allowing just one hit while striking out seven over five innings of work. Ortego went three-for-three at the plate with three runs scored, while Marrall finished two-for-three with four RBI and two runs scored in the win.
NPC faces No. 2 Murray State College in Tishomingo, Oklahoma today, beginning at 12 p.m.
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