By: Justin Hargrove, NTCC Assistant Athletic Director
The Northeast Texas Community College (9-21, 4-10) Eagles softball team traveled to Tyler Junior College (39-5, 14-0) for a doubleheader contest on Friday. Ranked third in the nation by the NJCAA, the TJC Apaches took the opening game by a score of 8-2 and won game two 11-4.
Kara Carter was in the circle in game one for the Eagles, going six innings. Carter struck out four Apache batters while giving up six hits and walking six.
TJC got on the board first in the third inning with back-to-back homeruns to take a 4-0 lead over the Eagles. Korbyn Bassett answered back in the fourth inning with a homerun to cut the TJC lead to 4-1. In the sixth inning Ramzi Smith scored on a Shelby Baker Sacrifice fly to right field to add another run and bring the score to 5-2. TJC added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth to end the comeback threat. Baker and Bassett lead the Eagles offense with two hits each and one run batted in each.
In game two action, NTCC took an early 1-0 lead when the speedy Blakelea Nettles led off with a single and then stole second base. Nettles scored two batters later off a Ramzi Smith double.
Jamie Franks got the start in game two for NTCC and went four innings for the Eagles before being relieved by Mackensie Mankel.
TJC got on the board with three runs in the second inning to claim a 3-1 lead over NTCC. Nettles got things going again in the third inning with a double of her own and she scored when Smith homered to left to tie the game 3-3. The Eagles managed to score another run when Haley Chapa came in to pinch run for Haley Wilson who reached on an error.
The Apaches took advantage of well-timed hits with some walks and scored one run in the fourth, three runs in the fifth, and four runs in the sixth inning to round out the day with the 11-4 victory over NTCC.
Nettles and Smith led the way for the Eagles in game two with two hits each and Nettles added a walk as well to reach the bases three times.
