CEDAR RAPIDS – The fifth-seeded NIACC softball team faces third-seeded Iowa Central at 4 p.m. Friday in the opening round of the NJCAA Region XI-B tournament on the Kirkwood campus.
The winner of the NIACC/Iowa Central game faces either Kirkwood or Ellsworth in the second round of the regional tournament at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The first-round losers meet in an elimination game at noon on Saturday.
NIACC (18-28 overall, 9-15 in the ICCAC) won three of four games from Iowa Central (31-26, 11-11) during the regular season.
The two teams split a doubleheader at Oskaloosa on March 30 with the Tritons winnng the first game 7-4 and the Lady Trojans winning the second game 11-8. NIACC won both games (8-7 and 14-9) in the second twinbill in Austin, Minn.
NJCAA Region XI-B Tournament (At Cedar Rapids)
Friday’s games
Game 1 – (2) Kirkwood vs. (6) Ellsworth, 2 p.m.
Game 2 – (3) Iowa Central vs. (5) NIACC, 4 p.m.
Saturday’s games
Game 3 – Loser G1 vs. Loser G2 – noon
Game 4 – Winner G1 vs. Winner G2 – 2 p.m.
Game 5 – Winner G3 vs. Loser G4 – 4 p.m.
Sunday’s games
Game 6* – Winner G4 vs. Winner G5 – noon
Game 7** – If necessary, 2 p.m.
* Championship Game
** If Necessary Game
NIACC’s leaders
Batting average – Morgan Thesing-Ritter .461; Courtney Johannes .401; Shelby Low .391.
Hits – Thesing-Ritter 71, Johannes 55, Alyssa Laxson 50.
Doubles – Johannes 21, Kaci Sherwood 17, Low 15.
Triples – Thesing-Ritter 7.
Home runs – Sherwood 8, Thesing-Ritter 7, Laxson 6.
RBIs – Johannes 50, Sherwood 45, Thesing-Ritter 42.
Stolen bases – Thesing-Ritter 44, Kaitlyn Carlson 23, Low 19.
Wins – Johannes 11-10.
Strikeouts – Johannes 96.
Innings pitched – Johannes 122 1/3.
