A 13-run inning leads NACC to Game 1 win at Northwest Shoals

The Northeast Alabama Community College softball team split a conference series for the first time this season.

After the teams split the first two games Thursday at NACC, the Mustangs and Northwest Shoals split another doubleheader Sunday in Muscle Shoals to finish 2-2 against one another in a four-game Alabama Community College Conference series.

Despite the series split, No. 3-ranked Mustangs still lead the ACCC by four games over second-place No. 13 Wallace State.

Northeast, which is 41-2 overall and 22-2 in conference play, rolled to a 19-3, five-inning mercy-rule shortened win in Sunday's opening game. The game was tied 3-all after three innings, but the Mustangs scored 13 runs in a fourth-inning highlighted by sophomore Emmorie Burke's go-ahead three-run home run. NACC also got RBI singles in the inning from freshmen Austin McNeece, Lorelai Sullivan and Morgan Perkins, a two-run double from sophomore Kiley Weston, a three-run double from sophomore Francesca Lumpp and RBI walks by Sullivan and sophomore Emma Hindmon. NACC tacked on three more runs in the top of the fifth on sophomore Savannah Cantrell's RBI single and sophomore Jada Hampton's two-run homer.

Ten different Mustangs had a hit, with Lumpp (three RBIs) and Perkins (RBI) leading the way with three each. Sullivan and sophomore Chloe Hatch both had one hit, two walks and two RBIs for NACC while Weston and Hampton both had one hit and two RBIs, freshman Marti McCluskey had one hit and four walks, McNeece and Cantrell had one hit and one RBI each and Hindmon walked and drove in a run.

Addie Edwards picked up her 22nd win of the season in the pitching circle. The freshman right-hander tossed four innings to improve to 22-0, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and no walks while recording two strikeouts. Freshman Chloe Helton pitched a scoreless inning in relief for the Mustangs.

Meanwhile, Northwest Shoals scored seven runs in the bottom of the first inning of Game 2 to build a lead that NACC was unable to erase in an 8-1 setback. The Mustangs scored their lone run in the second inning when freshman Olivia Acuff singled and ultimately scored on Weston's RBI walk. The Mustangs finished with five hits, getting singles from Acuff, McCluskey, Lumpp, Hindmon and Sullivan. Weston, Lumpp, Acuff and Sullivan drew one walk apiece.

NJCAA RANKINGS — After holding the No. 1 spot in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Softball Rankings for three weeks, NACC dropped two spots to No. 3 in the latest rankings following its 2-2 series split with Northwest Shoals. Florida Southwestern State College and Northwest Florida State College are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in the new rankings that were released Monday, followed by No. 3 NACC, No. 4 Temple (Texas) College and No. 5 McLennan (Texas) Community. NACC defeated McLennan three times during the Mustang Invitational in February.

NEXT UP ON THE SCHEDULE — The Mustangs begin another four-game ACCC series this week. NACC hosts Southern Union for a doubleheader Thursday at 2 p.m. at Nathaniel Ledbetter Stadium before completing the series with a doubleheader at Southern Union on Saturday (2 p.m.). Tickets for Thursday's doubleheader are available at gofan.co/app/school/AL100680. NACC students receive free admission by showing a current NACC ID.