The North Platte Community College Knights softball team swept the Dawson Community College Lady Buccaneers on Wednesday at the Wayne Dowhower Softball Complex 4 – 3 and 6 – 0.
The first game started with the Lady Buccaneers scoring two runs in the second inning by Alissa Keeler and Haley Swan. Keeler added a home run in the third to make the score 3 – 0.
In the fourth inning the Knights Sara Villalobos and Brittney Odum hit back-to-back home runs and Sara Runia scored on a single by Audrie Conner to tie the score at three.
The Knights scored the go ahead run in the fifth on an error by the Lady Buccaneers center fielder scoring Mehana Chang.
Shannon Lieber pitched seven innings for the win allowing three runs on eight hits. Lieber struck out five.
In the second game, Baileigh Oleson pitched a gem, allowing one hit and no runs. Oleson struck out four batters in seven innings.
The Knights scored in the third inning on a two-run home run by Lieber, scoring Conner who had singled earlier. Odum added her second home run for the day in the fourth inning to put the Knights up 3 – 0. The Knights added three insurance runs in the sixth inning on doubles by Chang and Jessica Jarvis. Jarvis, Chang and Odum scored the runs.
The Knights improve to 6 – 12 on the season and the Lady Buccaneers fall to 3 – 3.
The Knights take to the road this weekend to play six games in three days. On Friday they travel to Columbus to play Central Community College in a doubleheader. On Saturday they travel to Beatrice for a doubleheader with Southeast Community College. All four of these games are National Junior College Athletic Association Region IX Division II games, which will help determine seeding for the Region IX tournament at the end of April in North Platte. Game times for the Central games are at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.; Southeast games are at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. CDT.
The Knights conclude their road trip on Sunday by playing a doubleheader against Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Game times are at noon and 2 p.m. CDT.