Story by NPCC Athletic Communications
North Platte, Neb. – North Platte Community College softball used a total of 24 hits across two games to sweep Fort Hays Tech Northwest on Monday.
North Platte 5 Fort Hays Tech Northwest 0
The Knights had seven different players notch at least one hit in the opening game of the doubleheader. Victoria Arellano and Heaven Hutchison were the only pair to tally double digit hits in game one.
North Platte got on the board in the first inning after a Sheena Smith double plated Arellano from second. The Knights went on to add three more runs in the bottom half of the second inning. An RBI single by Alieze Moreno plated Byanka Tyan before an Arellano double to center advanced Moreno all the way around the basepaths. The final run of the inning crossed the plate just one batter later on a single down the right field line.
North Platte tacked on an insurance run in the fourth inning when an error by the center fielder allowed Afia Hunt to score.
Smith went all seven innings to claim the win while allowing no runs on just three hits.
North Platte 10 Fort Hays Tech Northwest 2
The Tigers opened up the scoring with two runs in the top of the first inning. North Platte answered in the bottom of the frame when a single from Arellano brought Moreno around to score.
North Platte took advantage of the Tiger errors in the third inning, as two errors allowed Moreno to advance to second base to lead off the inning. A grounder back to the pitcher advanced the baserunner before a line out to right field advanced the runner to tie that game up at 2-2.
The offense exploded in the fourth inning as four runs scored on five hits. Tyan reached on an error by the right fielder, before four straight singles tacked on three North Platte runs. A double by Hutchison brought the final run across the plate as North Platte took a 6-2 lead.
Knights continued to stretch their lead in the sixth inning with four more runs to earn their second sweep of the season.
Moreno earned the win after allowing two runs on four hits in six innings of work. She also struck out three and walked two.
Knights (4-12) will travel to McCook to take on the Indians in a doubleheader on Thursday. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.