FORT DODGE, Iowa – NIACC softball may have earned its biggest win in program history.
The Trojans also might have made the biggest upset in the Region XI Tournament in some time with a 7-2 win over top-seeded, and nationally rated-sixth, Iowa Central on Thursday.
Hailey Eckstein (Fr., Larsen, WI) unloaded five RBI on three hits to lead the Trojans. NIACC (12-31) also had a pair of hits from Krista Grutz (Fr., Dubuque, IA).
Eckstein was a double away from the cycle. She hit a two-run homerun in a four-run fifth inning to help give NIACC a 5-1 lead at that time.
On the mound, Jessica Robinett (Fr., Maxwell, IA) had a well-pitched game with four strikeouts and four walks.
Despite being outscored by Iowa Central 45-12 in four games this season, having a 11-31 overall record and a 1-27 conference record this season, NIACC softball is playing its best when it matters the most, in the tournament.
NIACC scored one in the first inning, four in the fifth, and two in the seventh. The Tritons (51-10) scored one in the second and one in the sixth.
NIACC will play the fourth-seeded Southwestern on Friday at 3 p.m. Southwestern swept the Trojans this season, but NIACC just knocked off an Iowa Central team that did the same thing.
Iowa Central is not out of the tournament. They will play the five-seed Marshalltown Friday at 1 p.m. in the consolation bracket.
If the Trojans win on Friday, they will be in the semifinals of the double-elimination tournament, which will be at 3 p.m. on Saturday. If not, they will play in the consolation bracket at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
