Plainswomen Lance Knights
Three days in a row for a softball team can be a tough feat, especially when the second two days are conference and matter. The Plainswomen wanted to take advantage of the warm weather and play as many games as they can before it takes a turn for the worst, and this was the best way for them to do that. Also, by having North Platte (who is a non-conference game) scheduled for the first day, it could give them momentum going into the weekend series.
After taking a look back at the 16-17 season, the Plainswomen have already passed their win count after this sweep against NPCC. Last year, the Plainswomen's final record was 7-44, and as of right now they are 8-8. Good recruiting, patience, and solid coaching has turned Northeastern's team around, and it looks like it is here to stay.
The first game against NPCC would start out with the Plainswomen taking the lead, but having troubles trying to separate their lead. The game would be a tight game, and the Knights had a few opportunities to take the lead over NJC, but a few key stops hindered their run. The Plainswomen would turn it on in the end and initiate the run rule ending the game 9-1.
The second game was a much different story. Leah Osborn would start the game on the mound, and would do very well. The first two innings, she would go three-up, three-down with strikeouts, pop-ups, and grounders. The coaching staff was happy with her performance on the mound. Offensively, the Plainswomen would struggle right away by being late on their swings, and constantly hit it at the second baseman, who would be able to get easy outs. Every inning would change for NJC, as one inning would be a struggle, whereas the next would have at least one home run in it. Late in the game, the Knights would make a run at it and bring the score to a manageable margin, which would make Northeastern sharpen up their game. In the end, the Plainswomen would hold on for the 9-5 win, giving them something to roll with going into their conference game against Lamar.