The North Platte Community College softball team dropped a pair of games at home against Southeast Community College Tuesday. In the first game of the day, Southeast broke up a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning with six runs on the way to a 7-1-win. The Storm broke a 2-2 tie the fourth inning of Game 2 with an unearned run and went on to win 4-3.

“We fought hard and never gave up,” said North Platte Community College Coach Janelle Higgins.

The Knights got a couple complete-game performances from pitchers Emily Marsden (Papillion) and Ashylnn Krueger (Littleton, Colo.).  At the plate, Hallei Morales (North Platte) had four hits on the day including a home run.

North Platte committed 10 errors on the afternoon while Southeast had two.

“Our defense was on point today for 13 innings, the top of the seventh of Game One, we got caught on our heels,” Higgins said.

The Storm improve to 11-13 on the season and 5-3 in the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference and also take the lead in the Region IX Division 2 standings at 5-1.

North Platte is 11-19 on the season, 1-5 in the NCCAC and 1-5 in Region IX.

“Overall we just have to play our game, once we get our offense and defense on the same page on the same day we will be moving and shaking,” Higgins said.

The Knights will be back in action Wednesday for a home doubleheader against McCook Community College. Those games are set for 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. The Knights will round out region play April 23 when they host Central Community College for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.

“It’s all about the end of the season and we are getting better every day,” Higgins said. “I’m proud of our athletes and know we can win we just have to believe in ourselves.”

Check out North Platte Knights home softball games broadcast on 98.1 FM / 1410 AM or on the Internet at www.northplattepost.com.

GAME 1 – Southeast CC 7, North Platte CC 1: The Storm scored a third-inning run but North Platte got that run back in the bottom of the fourth inning when Hallei Morales (North Platte) launched a solo home run to centerfield to tie the game at 1-1.

Starting pitcher Emily Marsden (Papillion) held the Storm to one run through the top of the seventh when Kelsey Markey hit a three-run home run to give the Storm a 5-1 lead.

Marsden finished the game giving up nine hits over seven innings, and four earned runs. She walked two and struck out seven Storm hitters.

Despite the fact the Knights are the fifth best hitting team in the nation (with a .403 batting average) North Platte was held to five hits in the game. Morales led the way with two.

“Our hitting struggled a little bit, we played atoms balls — hit the ball right at em,” Higgins said.

Southeast played errorless ball in the field, North Platte was charged with six miscues in the game.

GAME 2 – Southeast CC 4, North Platte CC 3: Trailing 1-0 in the second inning, the Knights got on the scoreboard with an Ashylnn Krueger solo home run.

Southeast’s Kelsey Markey hit her second home run of the day in the Southeast third to put the Storm up 2-1 but Willow Chitty (North Platte) tied it up with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the third inning.

The Storm were able to score the eventual game-winner in the fourth on a pair of North Platte errors, and a two-out single. Southeast went up 4-2 with a fifth-inning homer.

Kayleigh Bucio (Rialto, Calif.) doubled to lead off the North Platte fifth inning and later scored on an RBI single from Hallei Morales to make it a 4-3 game. The Knights put two runners on base with one out, but left them stranded and then went out in order in both the sixth and seventh innings.

North Platte out-hit the Knights 10-6 with two hit games from Bucio, Morales, Emily Marsden and Ashylnn Krueger.

NCCAC Standings                         Region IX Standings

                        W-L     (Overall)

McCook         3-1      20-22                          NA

Southeast      5-3      11-13                          5-1

Central           3-3      8-18                           2-2

North Platte   1-5      11-19                          1-5

REMAINING NCCAC CONFENCE GAMES

Wednesday: MCC at North Platte, 5 p.m., 7 p.m.

April 23: Central Community College at North Platte, 3 p.m., 5 p.m.

April 30: North Platte at McCook, 4 p.m., 6 p.m.

 

REMAINING REGION IX GAMES

Friday: Central Community College at Southeast, 2 p.m., 4 p.m.

April 23: Central Community College at North Platte, 3 p.m., 5 p.m.