Above: Averie Ayers pitched the win for NTCC in game 1
By: Justin Hargrove, Assistant Athletic Director
Northeast Texas Community College softball hosted Carl Albert State College in a double header on Wednesday and came away with two wins, NTCC won game one 7-3 and game two 14-8.
Averie Ayers (Mount Pleasant HS) took the ball in game one and limited Carl Albert to three runs on seven hits with 10 strikeouts.
NTCC got things going quickly when Emma Farquhar (Hooks HS) singled and then stole second base and scored when Kailey Hancock (Central HS) singled to give the Eagles the early 1-0 lead. Tasha Pierce (Hudson HS) would double to bring in Hancock to bring the score to 2-0 after one inning of play.
The Eagles would add two more runs in the third inning when Kadi Downs (Foreman AR, HS) singled and scored when Farquhar tripled in the next at bat. Farquhar scored when Hancock added her second hit of the day, she would go three for three in game one.
Lauren Isbell doubled to start the fourth inning and scored when Ayers helped her own cause with a single to center to bring the score to 5-0. Hanna Allen would single to bring Ayers home to add the second run of the inning and make the Eagle lead 6-0.
Carl Albert tried to make a comeback, adding one run in the sixth and two in the Seventh, but the Eagles added one final fun in the bottom of the sixth when Allen scored to give the Eagles their seventh run of game one. Despite Carl Albert plating two in the seventh, the Eagles held on to win 7-3.
In game two, Halea Wells (Lufkin HS) started for NTCC and would combine with teammate Emily Cole (Paul Pewitt HS) to take down Carl Albert in game two.
Both Carl Albert and NTCC would score a run in the first inning of game two to make the score 1-1 after one. Carl Albert added three more in the second inning to lead 4-1 but a big inning by NTCC offensively would see the Eagles add seven runs to jump back in the lead.
Hanna Allen would hit her first collegiate homerun when she smashed a two-run homerun to left field to get the Eagles back in control of things. Pierce would add a second homerun of the inning later on as well. After two innings the Eagles climbed back in front 8-4.
Carl Albert tried to chip away at the Eagle lead, adding one run in the third, one run in the fourth and two runs in the fifth inning but NTCC score one run in the third, two runs in the fifth and three final runs in the sixth to bring the score to 14-8 for the final.
Downs would go five for five with three runs scored, Farquhar homered in the fifth inning to join Allen and Pierce with home runs in game two.
The Eagles will return to conference action on Saturday, March 27 when they host Tyler Junior College in a double header starting at 1:00pm on the NTCC Campus.
