North Platte – The North Platte Community College Knights softball team defeated the Williston State College Lady Tetons in a doubleheader at the Wayne Dowhower Softball Complex Saturday afternoon, 16-7 and 6-3.
The Lady Tetons jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the first inning. The Knights’ Samantha Gill led off the bottom of the first with a solo home run. The Knights proceeded to score five runs in their half of the first to tie the score at five.
The Knights kept their attack going by scoring six in the bottom of the second. Shelby Belloni and Alexandra Baldner each doubled in the inning.
Mikela Cabagua doubled to lead off the third for the Knights. Cabagua scored when she stole third and the Teton catcher had a throwing error. Sarah
Beaton then reached on an error and Samantha Foster followed up with a two-run home run over the left center field fence to increase the Knights lead to 14-5 at the end of three.
Foster, after giving up five runs in the first inning, retired eight of the next nine batters. The only Teton to reach base was put out on a 1-6-3 double play.
The Lady Tetons scored two runs in the fifth inning to avoid the eight-run rule.
In the Knights half of the fifth, Beaton reached on an error and Foster hit her second home run of the game to end the game after five innings.
Foster got the win, pitching five innings and striking out one Lady Teton.
In game two, the Lady Tetons had two runners reach base but did not score in their half of the first.
Gill led off the Knights first with a double and scored on a single by Belloni.
The Lady Tetons had a run in the second inning to tie the game at one, but the Knights answered back in their half of the second on a run by Erin Renwick to take back the lead at 2-1
Foster led off the third with a double and scored on a sacrifice bunt by Belloni was overthrown, allowing Foster to score. Belloni scored on a sacrifice fly by Shelley Heredia to right field. Baldner then doubled and scored on a single by Renwick. The Knights led after three, 5-1.
Renwick singled in the fifth and Ana Kaniho came in as a courtesy runner. Kaniho scored on a single by Gill to give the Knights a 6-1 lead after five.
The Lady Tetons Rebekkah Withouse led off the sixth with a walk and scored when Madison Raynaud homered to close the Knights lead to 6-3.
Renwick pitched six innings for the Knights to get the win, striking out one and allowed eight hits and three runs. Foster closed the game out by pitching the seventh to get the save.
Foster had three doubles in the second game and scored one run. She had a total of six hits on the day with two home runs and the three doubles.
The Knights are now 13-20 on the season. The Lady Tetons fall to 2-16 on the season.