Knights split with Central on home field

North Platte, Neb. – The North Platte Community College softball team split a doubleheader against Central Community College – Columbus on Saturday. 

The score of the first game was 13-10 in favor of Central. The Knights then rallied back to take the win in the second game 15-6. 

The Knights played their home field and started out strong in game one - capturing the lead in the second inning. Elena Montoya homered on the first pitch of the at bat, scoring two runs.

North Platte put up six runs altogether in the second inning. In addition to Montoya's home run, Taelyn Dakamas batted a triple, Angelina Lockhart scored a single and Esper Lewandowski had a groundout. 

Lockhart was in the circle for the Knights. The righty lasted five and a third innings, allowing seven hits and 10 runs while striking out four. Jenny Singer threw one and two-thirds innings in relief. 

North Platte held onto the lead until the sixth inning. The game was tied at 10 with the Raiders batting in the top of the sixth when they doubled on a 3-2 count, scoring one run. 

The Knights tallied a total of 14 hits in the game. Lewandowski, Lockhart, Dakamas, Cameron Rollison and Gwen Anderson each had multiples – Anderson led after going 3-for-4 at the plate. 

NPCC snatched the lead late in the second game. Rollison got the offense started by driving in a run with a first-inning single. 

Montoya hit a dinger in the second inning – one of three home runs North Platte had in the game. Rollison and Anderson both went yard in the third inning. 

The score was tied at 6 with the Knights batting in the bottom of the fourth when Lewandowski singled on a 2-2 count, scoring two runs. 

North Platte put up six runs in the fifth inning. The offense came from singles by Kelsey Woodhouse, Lockhart and Montoya, a groundout by Rollison and a double by Dakamas. Montoya went 3-for-5 at the plate and drove in four runs altogether. 

Dakamas toed the rubber for the Knights. The righthander allowed eight hits and six runs over five innings, striking out eight. 

North Platte racked up a total of 19 hits. Montoya, Dakamas, Anderson, Lewandowski, Rollison, Lockhart and Lili Kukučková each contributed multiples, with Anderson, Dakamas and Montoya all adding three hits each. 

The Knights are now 3-23 on the season. 

"We had a chance early - just got too comfortable and made some costly errors," said Janelle Higgins, NPCC head women's softball coach. "They showed heart and determination to come back and win game two. We need to keep that momentum and fire and carry it with us the rest of the year." 

The Knights will continue play at home through the weekend. They will face the Western Nebraska Community College Cougars in a doubleheader Sunday. First pitch is at 1 p.m. at the Dowhower Softball Complex in North Platte. 

Gate money will be collected for support and awareness of Rosai-Dorfman disease, a rare disorder characterized by overproduction and accumulation of a specific type of white blood cell in the lymph nodes of the body. Admission is $5 per person. 

The most up-to-date information about NPCC athletics can be found on the Knights Facebook and Twitter accounts and online at npccknights.com.