Edwards pitches first no-hitter in NACC Softball history
Mustangs use 11-run ninth-inning to post extra-inning Game 2 victory and complete ACCC series sweep of Snead State
Northeast Alabama Community College pitcher Addie Edwards has been nearly unhittable this season.
She was just that during Game 1 of the No. 1-ranked Mustangs' doubleheader at Snead State, pitching the first no-hitter in NACC Softball history during a 2-0 Mustangs win.
The freshman right-hander also got the win in relief in Game 2's 18-7 extra-inning victory, finishing the day with 16 total strikeouts and not allowing a hit in 10 innings pitched while also becoming NACC's all-time career strikeouts leader (134).
The wins capped off another four-game Alabama Community College Conference series sweep for the 35-1 Mustangs, who lead the conference with a 16-0 mark. NACC is four games up on second-place Wallace State-Hanceville in the ACCC Division I standings.
Edwards dominated Snead State hitters during her no-hitter. She recorded 13 strikeouts and was perfect through six innings before surrendering a lead-off walk in the seventh.
Meanwhile, NACC batters gave her the run support she needed, scoring a run in the top of the second inning on freshman Lorelai Sullivan's RBI single and sophomore Sophia Murphey's RBI sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Sophomore Chloe Hatch finished 2-for-4 and freshman Morgan Perkins was 2-for-3 with a run scored for the Mustangs while Sullivan and sophomores Francesca Lumpp and Emmorie Burke had one hit each and Breanna Wilson scored a run.
The Mustangs had to work extra for their Game 2 win, their first extra-inning game of the season.
NACC built a 7-3 lead after four innings, but Snead State scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game and ultimately send it to extras.
The game remained tied until the top of the ninth when NACC scored a season-best 11 runs in an inning to take command. The Mustangs, who scored 10 runs before recording an out, took a 9-7 lead on Lumpp's two-run homer — her fifth of the season — before three consecutive walks led to sophomore Emma Hindmon's RBI walk that was followed by Austin McNeece's RBI single. After an RBI fielder's choice by Hatch and an RBI single from sophomore Kiley Weston, freshman Marti McCluskey hit her team-leading ninth home run of the season, a three-run shot, to give NACC a 17-7 advantage. Hindmon closed the inning for the Mustangs with an RBI single.
NACC finished with 18 hits by 10 different batters, led by four-hit performances from Weston (4-for-6, three RBIs) and McCluskey (4-for-5, four RBIs, one walk). Hatch closed 2-for-5 with three RBIs and Hindmon was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two walks for the Mustangs while Lumpp and Sullivan had one hit each to extend their hitting streaks to 20 and 18 games respectively. Burke, Perkins and freshman Savannah Cantrell all singled and drew two walks while McNeece singled and Acuff drew two walks.
Edwards got the win in the circle, improving her ACCC-best pitching record to 18-0 after throwing three more hitless and shutout innings in relief. Starter freshman Erin Harrelson allowed one run over 3 2/3 innings while striking out three.
Next up for the Mustangs is an ACCC four-game series against third-place Coastal Alabama-South. The teams play a doubleheader Thursday starting at noon in Bay Minette before concluding the series Saturday at noon at NACC's Nathaniel Ledbetter Stadium. Tickets for Saturday's doubleheader at NACC are available at gofan.co/app/school/AL100680 and students receive free admission by showing a current NACC ID.
