NIACC softball team splits pair of contests

By The Globe Gazette staff

ROSEMOUNT, Minn. – Powered by its offense, NIACC worked its way to a split in a pair of games vs. Waldorf and Cardinal Stritch Friday. The Lady Trojans topped Waldorf 12-11 in their opener and fell to Cardinal Stritch 13-8 in Game 2.

NIACC finished the day with 27 hits.

"I liked the way we competed in every pitch of every at-bat," NIACC coach Christi Weiser said. "I think we chose better pitches today and we did a really good job of hitting the ball hard and squaring it up."

In the win over Waldorf, Morgan Thesing-Ritter had three hits and drove in three runs, Shay Vesel had two hits, including a home run, and drove in four, Megan Wallace had three hits and Elise Powers added two.

Mason City grad and former NIACC player Brittani Sanchez doubled, singled twice and drove in two runs for the Warriors and Trista Bures homered twice.

NIACC pounded out 15 hits in the loss to Cardinal Stritch, but was unable to bring those runners in at times.

Jenni King singled, doubled and drove in two runs for the Lady Trojans (1-3) while Shelby Low had three singles and two RBIs. Thesing-Ritter, Wallace and Brittany Florea added two hits apiece.

NIACC returns to action Friday with a pair of games in Rochester, Minn. The Lady Trojans play Southeastern CC at 9 a.m. and Lake County at 1 p.m.

NIACC 13, Waldorf 12

Waldorf 111 142 2 – 12 19 4

NIACC 150 241 x – 13 12 0

Taylor Kurtz (2K, 3BB), McKenna Marcinkowski (0K, 1BB) and Trista Bures. Courtney Johannes (2K, 1BB), Hannah Dove (1K, 0BB) and Shayley Vesel. W – Dove (1-0). S – Johannes (1). HR – Bures (W) 2, Kennedy Vinchattle (W), Kurtz, Vesel (1). 2B – Brittani Sanchez (W) 2, Madi Mason (W), Payton Bamrick (N) (1). Multiple hits – Sanchez 3, Bures 2, Vinchattle 3, Payge Jurgens (W) 2, Kurtz 3, Mason 2, Briley Sullivan (W) 2, Morgan Thesing-Ritter (N) 3, Megan Wallace (N) 3, Vesel 2, Elise Powers (N) 2. Multiple RBIs – Sanchez, 2, Bures 3, Kurtz 5, Thesing-Ritter 3, Wallace 2, Brittany Florea (N) 2, Vesel 4.

Cardinal Stritch 13, NIACC 8

NIACC 034 000 1 – 8 15 1

Cardinal Stritch 334 002 x – 13 6 1

Wallace (0K, 4BB), Dove (6) (1K, 1BB) and Powers and Vesel. Stock (2K, 1BB), Hazimett (4) (2K, 3BB) and Martin. W - Stock. L - Dove (1-1). HR – Martin. 2B – Powers (1), Jenni King (N) (1), Blazich (CS), Garces (CS) 2, Martin. Multiple hits – Thesing-Ritter 2, Vesel 2, Powers 2, Johannes 2, Shelby Low (N) 3, King 2, Blazich 2, Garces 3, Martin 4, Murphy (CS) 2, Hazimett 2. Multiple RBIs – Low 2, King 2.