March 1, 2012
The NTCC Eagles softball team used strong hitting and a never-say-die attitude to earn a six-game winning streak at the Murray State Softball Festival over the weekend. The Eagles won their first six games at the tournament before dropping the final contest to finish the weekend 6-1.
The Eagles entered the weekend tournament in Tishomingo, OK with a 5-9 record but came away from the tourney with a season record of 11-10 after coming from behind in four of their six wins.
The Eagle hitters crushed the ball all weekend as the team scored 53 runs while batting .341 with 43 RBI. NTCC also finished the tournament with 23 extra-base hits, including 15 doubles and eight home runs.
Hannah Holovach finished the weekend with 12 hits, including a home run, as well as eight RBI. Christina Martin hit .423 over the weekend, brought in eight runs and had six extra-base hits with four doubles and two home runs (both coming against Eastern Oklahoma). Jessica Garza, Brianna Williams, Katie Holcomb and Ashley Basham also had home runs for the Eagles during the tournament.
As impressive as Holovach was at the plate, she had an even stronger weekend in the pitcher?s circle as she picked up the wins in all six Eagle victories. Holovach finished with a 2.78 ERA with 26 strikeouts during the tournament and, with the wins, she improves to 10-1 this season.
The Eagles opened the tournament with a come from behind win Friday as they took down Rose State, 8-6. The day continued with another Eagle win as NTCC defeated Carl Albert in eight innings, 4-2. The Eagles led all the way in their final game Friday as they defeated Connors State, 8-7.
Christina Martin?s two home runs helped lead the Eagles to a victory in their first game Saturday as they defeated Eastern Oklahoma, 8-5.
Martin picked up her first home run of the day in the bottom of the first inning as she sent a 2-0 pitch over the center-field fence. The Eagles went on to add three more runs in the inning as Kix Hutchins walked, Holcomb doubled, and Holovach, Amanda Shirley and Jessica Miller all had singles.
Martin and Erica Graham both had singles in the bottom of the second inning and Holcomb added a two-out double as the Eagles pushed their lead to 6-1.
A two-run homer in the top of the fourth cut the Eagle lead to 6-3 but Martin had an answer in the bottom of the sixth as she sent another pitch over the center field fence to bring home for a two-run shot that put NTCC ahead 8-3. Eastern Oklahoma added two runs in the top of the seventh but the Eagles were able to hold on for the win.
A 10-run fifth inning was the key to success for the Eagles in the nightcap Saturday as they came back from a 6-0 deficit to defeat Frank Phillips, 15-13.
The Eagles got off to a sluggish start, falling behind 5-0 after the opening inning before Frank Phillips added another run in the second to go up 6-0.
NTCC?s comeback began in the top of the fourth inning as Martin used a two-out double to score Kelsey Kirkland to get the Eagles on the scoreboard. Williams later scored on an error and Martin scored on a passed ball to cut the Eagle deficit to 6-3.
The Eagles offensive explosion in the fifth began with a leadoff walk by Graham before she stole second and moved to third on a throwing error. A sacrifice fly by Garza brought in Graham to cut the lead to 6-4 before Holcomb kept the rally going with a walk. After Kassy Torres flew out to center for the second out of the inning, the Eagles went on to score nine more runs in the inning. Singles by Holovach, Williams, Jacki Smith, and Garza helped the Eagles go up 10-6 before Holcomb sent a pitch over the left field fence for a three-run homer that put NTCC up 13-6.
Frank Phillips responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the Eagle lead to 13-9 but NTCC scored two more in the top of the seventh to go up 15-9. Frank Phillips made a strong push in the bottom of the inning and scored four runs to cut the Eagle lead to 15-13.
Kelsey Kirkland brought the game to a close though as she made a diving catch in center for the third out in the bottom of the seventh, leaving the bases loaded.
The Eagles erased a five-run deficit to pick up another win in their first game Sunday as they defeated Neosho in eight innings, 7-5.†Neosho jumped out to 5-0 lead after two innings of play but the Eagles countered with two runs in the third and two more in the fifth to cut the lead to 5-4.†The Eagles continued to trail 5-4 into the top of the seventh when Basham took the first pitch of the inning over the left field fence to tie the score at 5-5.
The Eagles put the game away in the first extra inning as Graham and Garza both scored as NTCC went on to a 7-5 victory.†The Eagles win streak came to a close in the final game of the weekend as they fell to the host team, Murray State, 6-2.†The Eagles took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning, but the Aggies answered with three runs in fifth and three more in the sixth as Murray State got the win.
The Eagles will be back in action this weekend as they host the Crossover Tournament in Longview.
The Eagles entered the weekend tournament in Tishomingo, OK with a 5-9 record but came away from the tourney with a season record of 11-10 after coming from behind in four of their six wins.
The Eagle hitters crushed the ball all weekend as the team scored 53 runs while batting .341 with 43 RBI. NTCC also finished the tournament with 23 extra-base hits, including 15 doubles and eight home runs.
Hannah Holovach finished the weekend with 12 hits, including a home run, as well as eight RBI. Christina Martin hit .423 over the weekend, brought in eight runs and had six extra-base hits with four doubles and two home runs (both coming against Eastern Oklahoma). Jessica Garza, Brianna Williams, Katie Holcomb and Ashley Basham also had home runs for the Eagles during the tournament.
As impressive as Holovach was at the plate, she had an even stronger weekend in the pitcher?s circle as she picked up the wins in all six Eagle victories. Holovach finished with a 2.78 ERA with 26 strikeouts during the tournament and, with the wins, she improves to 10-1 this season.
The Eagles opened the tournament with a come from behind win Friday as they took down Rose State, 8-6. The day continued with another Eagle win as NTCC defeated Carl Albert in eight innings, 4-2. The Eagles led all the way in their final game Friday as they defeated Connors State, 8-7.
Christina Martin?s two home runs helped lead the Eagles to a victory in their first game Saturday as they defeated Eastern Oklahoma, 8-5.
Martin picked up her first home run of the day in the bottom of the first inning as she sent a 2-0 pitch over the center-field fence. The Eagles went on to add three more runs in the inning as Kix Hutchins walked, Holcomb doubled, and Holovach, Amanda Shirley and Jessica Miller all had singles.
Martin and Erica Graham both had singles in the bottom of the second inning and Holcomb added a two-out double as the Eagles pushed their lead to 6-1.
A two-run homer in the top of the fourth cut the Eagle lead to 6-3 but Martin had an answer in the bottom of the sixth as she sent another pitch over the center field fence to bring home for a two-run shot that put NTCC ahead 8-3. Eastern Oklahoma added two runs in the top of the seventh but the Eagles were able to hold on for the win.
A 10-run fifth inning was the key to success for the Eagles in the nightcap Saturday as they came back from a 6-0 deficit to defeat Frank Phillips, 15-13.
The Eagles got off to a sluggish start, falling behind 5-0 after the opening inning before Frank Phillips added another run in the second to go up 6-0.
NTCC?s comeback began in the top of the fourth inning as Martin used a two-out double to score Kelsey Kirkland to get the Eagles on the scoreboard. Williams later scored on an error and Martin scored on a passed ball to cut the Eagle deficit to 6-3.
The Eagles offensive explosion in the fifth began with a leadoff walk by Graham before she stole second and moved to third on a throwing error. A sacrifice fly by Garza brought in Graham to cut the lead to 6-4 before Holcomb kept the rally going with a walk. After Kassy Torres flew out to center for the second out of the inning, the Eagles went on to score nine more runs in the inning. Singles by Holovach, Williams, Jacki Smith, and Garza helped the Eagles go up 10-6 before Holcomb sent a pitch over the left field fence for a three-run homer that put NTCC up 13-6.
Frank Phillips responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the Eagle lead to 13-9 but NTCC scored two more in the top of the seventh to go up 15-9. Frank Phillips made a strong push in the bottom of the inning and scored four runs to cut the Eagle lead to 15-13.
Kelsey Kirkland brought the game to a close though as she made a diving catch in center for the third out in the bottom of the seventh, leaving the bases loaded.
The Eagles erased a five-run deficit to pick up another win in their first game Sunday as they defeated Neosho in eight innings, 7-5.†Neosho jumped out to 5-0 lead after two innings of play but the Eagles countered with two runs in the third and two more in the fifth to cut the lead to 5-4.†The Eagles continued to trail 5-4 into the top of the seventh when Basham took the first pitch of the inning over the left field fence to tie the score at 5-5.
The Eagles put the game away in the first extra inning as Graham and Garza both scored as NTCC went on to a 7-5 victory.†The Eagles win streak came to a close in the final game of the weekend as they fell to the host team, Murray State, 6-2.†The Eagles took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning, but the Aggies answered with three runs in fifth and three more in the sixth as Murray State got the win.
The Eagles will be back in action this weekend as they host the Crossover Tournament in Longview.
