No. 14 NIACC edges Northeast CC, 2-1
MASON CITY - The No. 14 NIACC softball team nipped Northeast CC 2-1 in the opening round game at the NJCAA Region 11-B tournament at the NIACC softball field.
NIACC scored its two runs in the fifth inning.
Sophomore Laken Lienhard (19-4) picked up the win in the circle for the Trojans. She tossed a three-hitter allowing one earned run with nine strikeouts.
NIACC's Katy Olive was 1 for 3 with a stolen base, Emily Jones was 1 for 1 with two walks and Taya Tucker was 1 for 2.
Northeast CC took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Ahdriana Medrano scored on a groundout by Josie Knust.
NIACC took the lead for good with its two runs in the fifth inning. Tucker scored the Trojans' first run of the regional tournament when Shaye Theobald reached on an error and Theobald scored the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly by Brynnlin Kroymann.
After Lienhard allowed the single run in the fourth inning, she set the Hawks down in order in the fifth and sixth innings. Northeast CC put two runners aboard in the seventh inning but Lienhard struck out the final batter to move the Trojans to Saturday's semifinals.
Lienhard now has 117 strikeouts with 34 walks in 127 innings pitched and she lowered her earned run average to 2.81.
Second-seed NIACC (36-11) faces No. 17 DMACC (45-10) at 2 p.m. Saturday in the regional semifinals. Northeast CC (15-32) faces Iowa Lakes loser at noon on Saturday in an elimination game.
Third-seed DMACC stopped Iowa Lakes 5-4 in its opening round contest Friday.
NIACC and DMACC split its four-game series in Boone.
On March 24, DMACC won 10-4 and NIACC won 6-5. On March 25, DMACC won 12-11 and the Trojans took the final game of the series 8-2.
The winner of the NJCAA Region 11-B tournament faces the NJCAA Region 9 champion in the NJCAA Division II North Plains District Tournament May 12-13 at the Region 9 champion with the winner qualifying for the NJCAA Division II World Series in Spartanburg, S.C. May 23-27.
The three-team NJCAA Region 9 tournament will be played this weekend in Colubmus, Neb. Teams in the Region 9 tournament are Central CC-Columbus (29-16), Southeast CC (13-31) and North Platte CC (14-29).
In the NJCAA Region 11-B tournament, the semifinals are set for Saturday with the championship game set for noon on Sunday.
NJCAA REGION 11-B TOURNAMENT
Friday's games
NIACC 2, Northeast CC 1
DMACC 5, Iowa Lakes 4 (8)
Saturday's games
Noon (Game 3) - Northeast CC vs. Iowa Lakes
2 p.m. (Game 4) - NIACC vs. DMACC
4 p.m. (Game 5) - Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser
Sunday's games
Noon (Game 6) - Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner
2 p.m. (Game 7) - If necessary, a second championship game will be played.
