Mustangs win World Series debut

The Northeast Alabama Community College softball program's World Series debut ended in the same fashion as many of its regular-season games did — a run-rule victory.

A six-run second inning and a pitching gem from freshman right-hander Addie Edwards sparked the No. 3-seeded Mustangs to an 8-0, five-inning victory over 14th-seeded Gaston (N.C.) College during their opening game in the 2026 National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Softball World Series Tuesday afternoon at Choccolocco Park in Oxford. 

It was the 21st run-rule victory of the season for the second-year program.

"It's hard to run-rule a team in this environment…hopefully that's a good statement," said NACC head coach Joe Guthrie. "It's a really good start."

NACC, which improved its record to 52-4, plays sixth-seeded Odessa (Texas) in a winners' bracket game on Field 2 Wednesday at 3:45 p.m. The 20-team double-elimination tournament continues through Saturday.

Tickets for the 2026 NJCAA Division I Softball World Series, available by on-site purchase only, are $15 per day and tournament passes are available for $40 per person. Children ages five and under are admitted free. In the event of a rain delay or game suspension due to weather, or any other reason, anyone with a valid wristband will be admitted to the rescheduled game. Tournament wristbands cannot be exchanged or refunded for any dollar value. Parking is available at the complex for $5 per vehicle each day. Games will also be streamed on the NJCAA Network with a cost of $12 dollars per day or a $15 pass for the entire tournament. All remaining NACC games in the 2026 NJCAA DI Softball World Series will be streamed on ESPN+.

The updated bracket with game times and field assignments can be viewed by clicking here.

After a scoreless first inning, NACC struck for six runs in the bottom of the second inning to take command. Sophomore Francesca Lumpp led off the inning with a single and went to second base on sophomore Emmorie Burke's sacrifice bunt. After freshman Olivia Acuff singled and freshman Morgan Perkins walked to load the bases, the Mustangs took a 1-0 lead when Lumpp scored on sophomore Emma Hindmon's RBI fielder's choice. Freshman Lorelai Sullivan followed with an RBI single, and after sophomore Chloe Hatch was hit by a pitch to reload the bases, sophomore Kiley Weston's three-run triple to deep center field cleared the bases to give NACC a 5-0 advantage. Freshman Marti McCluskey's bloop single into left field then plated Weston to cap the Mustangs' big inning.

The lead grew to 7-0 when Hatch led off the fourth inning with the first World Series home run in NACC program history — a no-doubter to left field for her 12th of the season — before the Mustangs ended the game in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the fifth. Acuff singled to start the fifth, went to second base on Perkins' sacrifice bunt and scored the run-rule invoking run on an RBI single from Sullivan, whose perfectly-timed game-ending hit helped NACC avoid a probable rain delay.

Sullivan finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Acuff had two hits, a walk and two runs scored for the Mustangs, who got one hit each from Hatch (RBI), Weston (three RBIs), McCluskey (RBI) and Lumpp and one walk each from Perkins and Hindmon.

Meanwhile, Edwards stayed undefeated in the pitching circle, tossing a two-hit shutout for her NJCAA-leading 30th win. She finished with four strikeouts and issued only one walk while carrying a no-hitter into the fifth inning. It was the 15th shutout Edwards has pitched this season.

"We executed really well," Guthrie said. "We were pretty good up and down the lineup. Obviously Addie pitched well and the defense was really good again. We've just got the keep the momentum going and come out ready to do it tomorrow. Every game is going to get tougher. We've got to lock in and get ready to go and be ready in situational moments."