NACC sweeps Walters State to improve to 14-0

The Northeast Alabama Community College softball team continued its undefeated start by winning two different types of games on Saturday.

The Mustangs prevailed 2-0 in a Game 1 pitchers' duel before warming up the bats and hitting a couple of key home runs during an 8-2 Game 2 victory against visiting Walters State Community College.

The wins continued NACC's program record best start to a season, pushing the Mustangs 14-0 on the season.

After the teams' doubleheader scheduled for last Thursday in Morristown, Tennessee was rained out, the teams played in near-perfect conditions Saturday afternoon at NACC's Nathaniel Ledbetter Stadium.

The opener featured another strong pitching performance from NACC's Addie Edwards. The freshman pitched a three-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts, improving to 7-0 on the season while recording her seventh complete game and sixth shutout and upping her strikeout total to 52 over 42 innings.

The Mustangs managed only three hits, but they were able to manufacture a run in the second inning when Marti McCluskey singled and scored on fellow freshman Morgan Perkins' RBI sacrifice fly before adding an insurance run in the fifth when freshman Breanna Wilson singled and scored on sophomore Kiley Weston's RBI sacrifice bunt. Walters State started the top of the seventh with a leadoff double, but the Mustangs retired the Senators' next three batters in order to seal the win.

Perkins doubled and drove in a run, McCluskey singled, walked and scored a run and Wilson singled and scored a run for NACC, which also got two walks each from sophomore Emmorie Burke and freshman Austin McNeece.

The Mustangs got their bats going in Game 2.

After Walters State scored a pair of runs in the top of the third inning to take a 2-1 lead — NACC scored a first-inning run when Weston singled, stole second base and scored on McCluskey's RBI single — the Mustangs struck for three runs in the bottom of the third to move in front to stay. Sophomore Chloe Hatch, aboard on a one-out double, scored the tying run on Weston's RBI triple before Weston scored the go-ahead run on Burke's RBI single. Burke then scored on a run on McNeece's RBI fielder's choice to send NACC to the fourth inning with a 4-2 advantage. 

The Mustangs put the game away in the fifth thanks to two two-run home runs by Burke and McNeece.

Weston finished 4-for-4 with an RBI, a stolen base and three runs scored, Burke went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored and McCluskey went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for the Mustangs while Emma Hindmon went 2-for-3 with a double and Hatch and McNeese (three RBIs) had one hit each.

Sophomore Kayleigh Warnock got her second win of the season in the circle after pitching 4 1/3 scoreless innings in relief. She struck out six and allowed only one hit while retiring the final 11 batters she faced. 

NACC returns to action Tuesday, traveling to Gallatin, Tennessee for a doubleheader against Volunteer State Community College. First pitch for Game 1 is set for 1 p.m. Central time.