Cougars start season hot at RCTC Early Bird Invite
“The offense was clicking, the defense was relentless and we showed true grit in every contest," Assistant Coach Kailee Pollard said. "This is the standard we’re setting for ourselves moving forward.”
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Region State College - ND | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Northeast Iowa Community College | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 19 | 16 | 0 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northland Community & Technical College | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Northeast Iowa Community College | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 15 | 0 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Lakes College-Brainerd | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 16 | 2 |
| Northeast Iowa Community College | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 13 | 1 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Iowa Community College | 2 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 0 |
| St. Cloud Technical & Community College | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 3 |
Team Stats
Lake Region State College - ND
Northeast Iowa Community College
Northland Community & Technical College
Central Lakes College-Brainerd
Northeast Iowa Community College
St. Cloud Technical & Community College
The Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) softball team started their regular season on Feb. 20 in Rochester, Minn., at the RCTC Early Bird Invite. NICC played two games on Friday and two on Saturday, going 3-1 in the four games.
Game one was against the Lake Region State College Royals. The Royals scored one run in the first inning off of Cougar's starting pitcher Kaleigh Tull. NICC came to bat in the bottom of the inning and the first two batters were retired. Then, NICC's Natalie Nenne reached by an error and Adelyn Miller clobbered a two-run home run to spark the Cougars offense. NICC never trailed after that as they added 17 more runs to win the game, 19-3. Alli Luka added a home run and a double of her own in the rout.
Northland Community & Technical College was the next test for NICC, but the pitching duo of Addison Murilla and Peyton Mengel threw a five-inning shutout. The Cougars bats remained hot as they won 13-0, with Bronwyn Harding adding a home run, and nine different players tallying an RBI.
NICC started their Saturday with an early morning match up with Central Lakes College, and this was a challenge for the Cougars. Tull had a rough first inning on the mound, allowing seven runs on six hits. After allowing a leadoff double in the second, Coach Nick Weinmeister gave the ball to Murilla who calmed down the hot Raiders offense. NICC chipped away at the lead, tallying at least one run in each of the first four innings. The Cougars trailed 10-8 in the sixth inning when Morgan Kloss hit a two-run homer to put the game out of reach. NICC lost game three 12-8.
They wrapped up their weekend up north with a game against St. Cloud Technical & Community College. NICC trailed 4-2 after one inning and then exploded for seven in the second inning. The Cougars added one more run after that, and Murilla had a scoreless final three frames pitching to end the game. NICC won 10-6. Nenne, Miller and Luka all added home runs in the game.
"Going 3-1 this weekend was a testament to our team's hard work and dedication," Assistant Coach Kailee Pollard said. "The offense was clicking, the defense was relentless and we showed true grit in every contest. This is the standard we're setting for ourselves moving forward."
NICC's next game is now not until March 5, also at Rochester Community and Technical College. They then head on their spring break trip to Arkansas.
Stay up to date with NICC softball at NICCAthletics.com.