Pirate's softball earned a split on Sunday against the preseason 10th ranked squad from Kansas City Kansas CC. NCMC took the opener 14-8 in 8 innings before dropping game two 11-6. NCMC now holds a 4-2 record and will travel to Council Bluffs, IA on Wednesday to play Iowa Western CC in their next action.
NCMC's offense provided the spark needed to take the extra innings victory in game one. They pounded out 17 hits to just 5 for the host squad. Lauren Krohn started for the Pirates, allowing only 2 earned runs and 4 hits in 6 innings pitched. She did walk 11 batters but also struck out 8 while earning a no-decision. Maeve Lavoy got the win in relief, tossing a pair of innings and only allowing 1 unearned run.
Middle of the order bats Rylee Murray (3-5, 1 run) and Caragan Baker (3-5, 3 runs, 2 RBIs) led the potent NCMC attack.
Game two saw NCMC again outhit KCKCC, this time 11-10. Despite the slight offensive disadvantage, the Blue Devils were able to salvage the split in part due to 6 NCMC errors which led to 3 unearned runs. Maeve Lavoy took the loss, allowing 8 ER over 4 IP. Rylie Boyer had a nice offensive game from the leadoff spot, going 3-4 with a pair of runs scored.
Head Coach Sara Van Dyke had these comments about her team's success against a ranked opponent. "Facing the preseason 10th ranked team, I knew we were going to have to start strong and stay strong through two games. Our bats really shined in game one and game two even though the outcome was not what we were hoping for in game two. We still came through to help us come back from what was a 5-run lead the Blue Devils were riding on. All in all, I thought we played really well. We are all still learning, Assistant Coach Salem Croy and I included. But after our first few outings it has added a lot excitement to what this spring holds for us."