
NPCC Knights to Host Hastings College JV

The North Platte Community College Knights split a double header with the Trinidad State Junior College Lady Trojans Friday afternoon at Wayne Dowhower Memorial Softball Complex.. The Knights won the first game 12 – 11 in extra innings, but lost the night cap 10 – 2 in five innings.
In the first game the Lady Trojans jumped out to a 2 – 0 lead in the top of the first on a single by Macie Christian. Two hitters later, Brooke Stevens lined one over the right field fence.
The Lady Trojans added four more runs in the top of the second and one in the top of the third to increase their lead to 7 – 0.
In the bottom of the third the Knights’ Brittney Odum reached on a bloop infield hit. Jessica Jarvis doubled to drive in Odum. With the bases loaded Sara Runia singled between short and third to bring in Jarvis.
Shannon Lieber knocked in Sara Villalobos and Mehana Chang on a two-run single. Runia scored on an infield single by Caroline Motis to cut the Lady Trojan lead to two, 7 – 5.
In the top of the fourth, after a single by Courtney Vigil and a walk to Stevens, Shelby Cornett hit a three-run home run over the left field fence to increase the Lady Trojan lead 10 – 5.
The Knights added a run to make the score 10 – 6 when Villalobos scored on a sacrifice fly by Andrea Quiroga.
The score remained that way until the bottom of the sixth. Chang and Runia opened up the inning by hitting back-to-back home runs. Quiroga and Lieber walked. They scored on a single up the middle by Tara Crouch to tie the score at 10. That was the score at the end of regulation.
In the eighth inning the Lady Trojans had Brooke Stevens on second because of the international tie breaker rule. Samantha Glover had a bunt single to advance Stevens to third. Stevens scored on a sacrifice fly by Cornett to make the score 11 – 10.
In the Knights half of the eighth Christina Rodie started at second, she was sacrificed to third by Motis. Crouch hit the ball to Christian, the Lady Trojan shortsop, who threw to home to get Rodie into a rundown. The ball hit Rodie in the helmet and caromed into left field which allowed Rodie to score. Crouch advanced to third on the play. Crouch scored the winning run on a single by Jarvis.
The win for the Knights broke a six-game losing streak for the Knights. It also broke a 12 game winning streak for the Lady Trojans.
In the second game, the Lady Trojans jumped out to a 5 – 0 lead in the top of the first. They added single runs in each of the second, third and fourth inning to take an 8 – 0 lead.
The Knights were able to push across two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Runia reached first on an error. Lieber singled to advance Runia at first. Rodie pinch run for Lieber. Shelby Clark singled to load the bases. Motis singled to score Runia and Rodie and ended up on third on the throw to the plate that put Clark out at the plate.
That was all the Knights could muster against Ally Grywusiewicz, the Lady Trojan pitcher.
The Lady Trojans scored two runs in the fifth to win in five innings. Lauren Bending singled to left. Vicki Gonzalez doubled to advance Bending to third. Vigil singled to score Bending and Gonzalez to allow the Lady Trojans to eight run the Knights.
The Knights move to 11 – 19 on the season. The Lady Trojans are now 19– 9.
The Knights are back in action on Tuesday, March 31 when they host the Hastings College Junior Varsity.
The games can be heard on ESPN Radio 1410 or on the Internet at www.northplattepost.com. It will be live streamed at www.coachesaid.com .
Game times are at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m CDT.
The Mid – Plains Community College Board of Governors approved new athletic logos for North Platte Community College.
The full new logo is similar to the old one with the arched spelling of North Platte with a different Knight in the middle. The Knight in the middle sports a shield with NPCC Knights in the shield. The words “Community College” were added to the bottom of the logo.
The logo will be implemented immediately. The old logos will remain on items currently in use. As items are replaced, they will include the new logo.
The new logo coincides with the remodeling of the gymnasium at the North Platte Community College McDonald – Belton building. The Knight alone will be in the center of the basketball court. The full logo with North Platte Community College will be imprinted on the gym wall safety mats at each end of the gymnasium.
The board also approved the logo for the Mid-Plains Community College Rodeo Team. The rodeo team is the only area wide sport. The new rodeo team logo will feature the Mid-Plains Community College shield with horns on the side.
North Platte Community College Knights basketball player Cameron Williams, on his Twitter account, announced that he has verbally committed to Eastern Kentucky University.
Williams averaged 21 points per game for the Knights this season and finished seventh on the Knights all-time scoring list. He was on the Region IX All – Region and All – Tournament teams his sophomore season.
The Colonels are a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I program. They are a member of the Ohio Valley Conference and finished 21 – 12 on the season. The Colonels have been in post season tournaments the last three seasons. They appeared in the NCAA tournament in 2014, losing to the University of Kansas in the second round. This season the Colonels were in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT), losing to University of Tennessee – Martin 70 -69 in the quarterfinals. They also appeared in the CIT in 2013.
Williams cannot officially sign until April 8.
The North Platte Community College Knights Softball team will host the Trinidad State Junior College Lady Trojans in a doubleheader onFriday, March 27 at the Wayne Dowhower Memorial Softball Complex.
The Knights are 10 – 18 on the season. The Knights are led offensively by Sara Villalobos with a .460 batting average. Villalobos has a .644 slugging percentage, four home runs, 20 runs and 19 runs batted in. Brittney Odum leads the Knights with six home runs and 22 runs batted in. Odum also is hitting .425 and has a .667 slugging percentage.
In the ring, the Knights pitching staff has a 3.85 team earned run average. Baileigh Oleson leads the team with a 3.19 earned run average. Oleson is 2 – 6 on the year, has allowed 31 earned runs, 27 walks, 13 home runs and has struck out 27 hitters. Shannon Lieber has a 3.60 earned run average, has allowed 23 earned runs, seven home runs and 15 walks. Lieber has struck out 46 batters and has a 3 – 6 record.
The Lady Trojans are 17 – 8 on the season. The Lady Trojans are led in hitting by Macie Christian with a .535 batting average. Christian has a .733 slugging percentage, three home runs, 28 runs and 19 runs batted in. Samantha Glover leads the Lady Trojans with five home runs and 21 runs batted in. Courtney Vigil has four home runs, batting .476 and has a .833 slugging percentage, which leads the Lady Trojans.
On the mound, the Lady Trojans are led by Demi Madalena and Jessica Salbato. Madalena is 7 – 3 on the season with a 2.95 earned run average. Madalena has allowed four home runs, 27 earned runs and nine walks. She has also struck out 49 hitters. Salbato is 7 – 3 on the season with a 3.45 earned run average. Salbato has struck out 34; allowed two home runs and has only walked nine hitters.
Times for the games are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. CDT
ESPN Radio 1410 will be broadcasting both games. They can also be heard on the internet on www.northplattepost.com. They will be live streamed on www.coachesaid.com.
The North Platte Community College Knights softball team will host the Western Nebraska Community College Lady Cougars in a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 25 at the Wayne Dowhower Memorial Softball Complex.
The Knights come into the contest with a 10 – 18 record. The Knights are led offensively by Sara Villalobos with a .460 batting average. Villalobos has a .644 slugging percentage, four home runs, 20 runs and 19 runs batted in. Brittney Odum leads the Knights with six home runs and 22 runs batted in. Odum is also hitting .425 and has a .667 slugging percentage.
In the ring, the Knights pitching staff has a 3.85 team earned run average. Baileigh Oleson leads the team with a 3.19 earned run average. Oleson is 2 – 6 on the year, has allowed 31 earned runs, 27 walks, 13 home runs and has struck out 27 hitters. Shannon Lieber has a 3.60 earned run average, has allowed 23 earned runs, seven home runs and 15 walks. Lieber has struck out 46 batters and has a 3 – 6 record.
The Lady Cougars are 29 – 11 on the season. The Lady Cougars lead the nation in National Junior College Athletic Association Division I softball in runs scored, triples, extra base hits, total bases, stolen bases and runs batted in. Individually, they are led by Jessica Ball. Ball has a .504 batting average, a 1.060 slugging percentage, nine home runs and 59 runs batted in and has 16 triples, which leads the nation in that category. Kenzie Sawyer has 12 home runs, which leads the nation. Sawyer is batting .402 and has 34 runs batted in.
Times for the games are scheduled for 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
ESPN Radio 1410 will be broadcasting both games. It can also be heard on the internet on www.northplattepost.com. It will be live streamed on www.coachesaid.com.
The North Platte Community College Knights Softball team was swept by the Williston State College Lady Tetons 8-0 and 12-4 Friday.
Lady Teton pitcher Jalen Creech held the Knights at bay allowing only two hits in the first game and eight hits in the second game.
The Knights opened up the bottom of the first with a single by Jessica Jarvis. Jarvis was thown out trying to stretch the single into a double. Creech retired the next seven batters.
The Lady Tetons scored two runs in the top of the second, one run in the third and five in the fourth.
The five runs in the fourth were the result of three hits and five walks.
Jarvis and Tara Crouch were the only Knights to get a hit off of Creech.
Creech also helped her cause at the plate, going three for four, including a double. She also scored two runs and had one run batted in. Hannah Atlee also contributed two hits for the Lady Tetons.
Sara Runia picked up the loss for the Knights in game one. Runia pitched four innings, allowed seven hits, six earned runs and seven walks. Runia struck out two Lady Tetons.
In game two, Creech continued her mastery over the Knights, allowing only two hits in the first four innings.
The Lady Tetons scored two runs in the top of the first. Three Lady Tetons reached base on three errors by the Knights, which scored one run by Madison McGonigal. The other run came in on Atlee’s single, scoring Haley Pardy. The Lady Tetons added five more runs in the fifth inning. Miranda Schultz and Myria Riffell opened up the fifth with singles. Schultz scored on sacrifice bunt by McGonigal. Pardy walked, Creech reached on an error. Riffel scored when Atlee reached on an error. Pardy, Creech and Riffel all came around to score in the inning making the score 7 – 0.
The Knights finally got on the board in the fifth inning. After Caroline Motis grounded out, the Knights hit for consecutive singles by Runia, Brittney Odum, Jarvis, and Sara Villalobos. Runia, Odum and Jarvis all came around to score as did Christina Rodie who pinch ran for Villalobos. The score at the end of five was 7 – 4 in favor of the Lady Tetons.
The Lady Tetons cushioned their lead by scoring five more runs in the top of the seventh to clinch the win.
The Knights were led in hitting by Odum and Villalobos, each having two hits in game two.
Baileigh Oleson pitched 6.1 innings, allowing 12 runs, six of them earned on thirteen hits and one walk. Oleson struck out three batters.
The Lady Tetons were led in hitting by Natalie Bernard who had three hits. Atlee, Schultz, Riffel, along with Emily Cairns each had two hits for the Lady Tetons in game two.
Creech pitched seven innings and allowed four runs on eight hits to pick up her second win of the day. She also struck out four Knights in the game.
The Knights fall to 10 – 18 on the season. The Lady Tetons improve to 7 – 7.
The Knights return to action on Wednesday, March 25 when they host Western Nebraska Community College in a double header. Game times are at 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. CDT.
The games may be heard on ESPN 1410 radio or on the Internet at www.northplattepost.com. It will also be live streamed on www.coachesaid.com.
The North Platte Community College Knights softball team was swept by the McCook Community College Lady Indians at Jaycee Sports Complex 10 – 5 and 4 – 2.
The games were declared Purple – Out day to focus on Epilepsy Awareness. Abbee Terry, a McCook resident who has epilepsy, threw out the first pitch of game one.
In the first game, the Knights scored one run by Christina Rodie. Rodie singled and advanced to third on a double by Sara Runia and scored on a groundout to the shortstop by Sara Villalobos.
The Lady Indians answered back by scoring three runs in the bottom of the first. The inning started out with a walk to Megan Ruppert and a single by Stephenie Johnson. The runners advanced when Mackenzie Bilger reached on an error scoring Ruppert. Averi Miller doubled to score Bilger and Johnson.
With the Lady Indians leading 4 – 1 the Knights took the lead 5 – 4 with four runs in the top of the third. The inning started with singles by Rodie and Villalobos. Jessica Jarvis tripled to knock in Rodie and Villalobos. Jarvis scored on an RBI single by Shannon Lieber. Lieber scored when Tara Crouch tripled. The four runs chased Lady Indian pitcher Robin Harrison. Harrison pitched 2.2 innings and allowed five earned runs on seven hits. Miranda Sanchez came in to the game and pitched 4.1 scoreless innings to get the win
The Lady Indians tied the score at five in their half of the third on a triple by Madison Chitwood, who scored on Miller’s second double of the game.
McCook put the game out of reach in the bottom of the fifth with five runs. The crushing blow was when Amber Madigan homered over the left field fence.
The Knights threatened in the top of the seventh when they had the bases loaded. Shannon Lieber flied out to centerfield to end the game.
Baileigh Oleson pitched six innings and allowed 10 runs, three of them earned, on eight hits to pick up the loss. Oleson struck out one Lady Indian hitter.
The Knights outhit the Lady Indians nine to eight, led by Jessica Jarvis with two hits including the triple.
In game two, the Lady Indians opened up the scoring in the bottom of the first on RBI singles by Miranda Santiago and Jasmine Pemble making the score 2 – 0. The Knights cut the Lady Indian lead to one in the top of the second on a solo home run by Sara Villalobos.
McCook added another run in both the fifth and sixth innings making the score 4 – 1.
The Knights scored their only other run in the seventh on a solo home run by Shannon Lieber. The Knights tried to rally when Baileigh Oleson and Brittney Odum singled. Oleson tried to score on the play but was thrown out at the plate by McKinley Earnest to end the game.
The Knights were led in the second game by Villalobos who had two hits in three at bats, a double and the home run. Odum also had two hits in game two.
Shannon Lieber took the loss for the Knights. Lieber pitched six innings, allowed four runs on 10 hits and struck out eight Lady Indians.
Pemble paced the Lady Indians at the plate with three hits, including a triple. She also scored one run, one run batted in and one stolen base.
Earnest got the win for the Lady Indians. She went seven innings, allowed two runs on seven hits and struck out five batters.
The Knights fall to 10-16 on the season, 4 – 2 in the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference (NCCAC).
The Lady Indians improve to 22 – 6 on the season, 8 – 0 in the NCCAC. They are currently on an 18 game winning streak.
The Knights return home on Friday, March 20 to play the Williston State College Tetons in a doubleheader. Game times are at noon and 2:00 p.m. Games may be seen on www.coachesaid.com.
The North Platte Community College Knights softball team will host the Williston State College Lady Tetons in a doubleheader on Friday, March 20 at the Wayne Dowhower Memorial Softball Complex.
The Knights, who are 10 – 14 on the season, are led at the plate by Sara Runia with a .452 batting average and a .729 slugging percentage. Runia has six doubles and five home runs, which is currently tied for 13th in the nation. Brittney Odum leads the Lady Knights in home runs with six, which is tied for 10th in the nation.
The Knights as a team has hit 20 home runs in 24 games. The 20 home runs is seventh in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division One team home runs.
The Knights pitching staff has a 6.13 earned run average and is led by freshman Baileigh Oleson with a 4.37 earned run average. Sophomore Shannon Lieber has a 5.81 earned run average and has struck out 40 opposing hitters, which is tied for 31st in the nation.
The Lady Tetons are 5 – 7 on the season. They are led in hitting by Myria Riffel with a .463 batting average. Riffel has two doubles and one triple along with five runs batted in. Martina Marquardt and Emily Cairns lead the Lady Tetons in home runs with two each. Cairns also leads the team with 15 runs batted in.
The Lady Tetons pitching staff has a 3.22 team earned run average. They are led by Jalen Creech with a 3.00 earned run average in 39.2 innings pitched. Creech has two wins and two losses on the season.
The times of the games have changed from the printed schedule to noon and 2:00 p.m. The games may be seen on www.coachesaid.com.
As a reminder, the games on Saturday between the same two teams have been cancelled.
The North Platte Community College Knights Softball team will travel to play the McCook Community College Lady Indians at the Jaycee Sports Complex on Thursday, March 19.
The game has been designated as a Purple-Out softball game. The McCook Community College chapter of Phi Theta Kappa has teamed up with Abbee Terry and her family, the Lady Indian and Knights softball teams to make this event happen. They will be selling bracelets, hair ribbons and t-shirts. They will be auctioning off a signed softball from both McCook Community College and North Platte Community College. This will be a silent auction, so you must be present to win. There will be a donation jar at the game. All proceeds will go to the Epilepsy Foundation. Abbee will throw out the first pitch of game one.
The Knights are 10 – 14 on the season and 4 – 0 in Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference play. The Lady Indians are 20 – 6 on the season and 6 – 0 in the conference.
The Knights are led offensively by Sara Runia. Runia is batting .429 with six doubles, five home runs and 23 runs batted in. Sara Villalobos is batting .403 with three doubles, three home runs and 16 runs batted in. Brittney Odum leads the Knights with six home runs on the season. The Knights, as a team have hit 20 home runs in 24 games and have a .433 team slugging percentage.
The Knights pitching staff has a team earned run average of 6.13, led by freshman Baileigh Oleson with a 4.37 earned run average and sophomore Shannon Lieber with a 5.81 earned run average.
The Lady Indians started the season 4 – 6 but have reeled off 16 straight wins. They are led offensively by sophomore Miranda Santiago with a .482 batting average. Santiago also has seven doubles, two home runs and 30 runs batted in. Robin Harrison leads the Lady Indians with four home runs.
The Lady Indian pitching staff is led by Harrison who has a 1.87 earned run average in 15 appearances. McKenzie Bilger with a 2.39 earned run average in seven appearances. The Lady Indians have a team earned run average of 2.49.
Game times are at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. CDT and may be seen on www.coachesaid.com.