North Platte –The North Platte Community College Knights softball team split a doubleheader with the Hastings College Junior Varsity Lady Broncos losing the first game 6-3 and winning the second game 16-8 at the Wayne A. Dowhower Softball Complex on Tuesday afternoon.
In the first game, the Lady Broncos got on the scoreboard early, scoring two runs in the first inning and three runs in the second inning.
The Knights scored their first run in the bottom of the second on a run by Shelby Belloni. Shelley Heredia singled advancing Belloni to third. When attempting to get Belloni out at third, the Lady Bronco third baseman Jaycie Hoins let the ball get away from her and Belloni was able to score to make the score 5-1 in favor of the Lady Broncos.
The Lady Broncos answered back with a run in the third to increase their lead to 6-1.
Caroline Motis added a run for the Knights in the sixth and Samantha Foster scored in the seventh for the final run for the Knights.
Lady Bronco pitcher Josie Bumgardner silenced the Knights bats by striking out nine in game one to get the win.
In game two, Foster struck out three Lady Broncos in the first inning. The Knights scored quickly on a home run by Sara Villalobos to make the score 1-0 in favor of the Knights.
In their half of the third, the Lady Broncos scored four runs to take a 4-1 lead. The Knights answered back in their half of the third by scoring four runs to regain the lead at 5-4. During the third inning the Knights had three consecutive doubles by Villalobos, Foster and Makenzi DeCrow.
In the fourth inning, the Knights added to their lead by scoring five runs making the score 10-4. Foster and Samantha Gill each had two-run home runs for the Knights. Allie Vigil drove in Belloni for the fifth run in the inning.
In the Lady Broncos fifth inning, after getting three singles to load the bases, Katie Johnson hit a grand slam to bring the Lady Broncos within two of the Knights at 10-8.
Foster hit her second home run of the game in the fifth inning, this time a three-run blast to put the score at 13-8. Four batters later, Heredia hit her second home run of the year to win the game in the fifth for the Knights.
Foster went the distance in the ring to pick up the win. She struck out six Lady Broncos in five innings.
The Knights, now 14-25 were to host McCook Community College on Friday, April 15. Those games have been postponed until April 22, due to threat of inclement weather on that day.
The Knights are in action next when they travel to Scottsbluff on Tuesday, April 19, to face the Western Nebraska Community College Cougars in a doubleheader. Game times are at 3 pm and 5 pm CDT.