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The North Central Texas College softball team had a history-making season and seven Lady Lions picked up postseason awards recently.
A trio of freshmen were named to the All-Region team and were first team All-Conference selections.
NCTC catcher J.J. Addington of Decatur, shortstop Savannah Lewis of Dickson, Okla., and outfielder Christin Robertson of Keller were all named All-Region.
Addington hit .349 with 18 doubles, six triples, seven home runs and 54 RBIs. She had a slugging percentage of .619 and threw out 11 of 16 would-be base stealers behind the plate.
Lewis hit .398 with 11 doubles, eight home runs and 31 RBIs. She also led the world in hit-by-pitches. The shortstop was pegged a whopping 30 times. The next closest Lady Lions was hit four times. She also saw limited duty in the pitcher’s circle, but she went 3-0 with one save and an impressive 0.51 ERA.
Robertson, who missed the last few weeks of the season with a broken hand, hit .342 with four doubles, four triples, one home run and 29 RBIs.
Second team All-Conference selections included sophomores Whitney Harris and Ashely Trefger, along with freshmen Katie Cowan and Jessica Newsome.
Harris, a third baseman from Ada, Okla., hit .362 with five doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 30 RBIs.
Trefger, a second baseman from Burleson, hit .361 with six doubles, three triples and 25 RBIs.
Cowan, a pitcher from Cleburne, went 13-4 with two saves and a 2.61 ERA. She also had 51 strikeouts and only four walks in 104 innings pitched. At the plate she hit .340 with four doubles and 11 RBIs.
Newsome, a pitcher from Desoto, went 12-4 with two saves and a 2.93 ERA. She led the team with 87 strikeouts.
Addington, Lewis, Robertson, Cowan and Newsome will all represent NCTC at the Texas Junior College All-Star game next October.
Five Lady Lions also had good semesters in the classroom. Sophomore Ashlee Coleman of The Colony and freshman Maureen Chunta of Flower Mound were both named to the President’s List with perfect 4.0 grade point averages. Addington, Ashley Trefger and Lindsey Trefger all made the Dean’s List with GPAs between 3.5 and 3.9.
The Lady Lions finished the season 46-18 and won their first-ever regional championship and advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament.
ST. GEORGE, Utah - The North Central Texas College Lady Lions softball team made school history by qualifying for the NJCAA National Tournament, but their trip ended early as they dropped a pair of one-run games Thursday at The Canyons Softball Complex in St. George, Utah.
In their first game Thursday, errors cost the Lady Lions (46-18) as they lost to No. 4 Blinn (TX) College 5-4 in a game that was decided with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Valareie Conlunga had a pinch-hit single with two outs to score the winning run and send the Lady Lions into the losers bracket. North Central struggled at the plate early as Blinn starting pitcher Carlee Winkelmann struck out six in the first three innings. The Lady Bucs got on the board first as catcher Missy Siegel belted a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the third inning to put Blinn up 1-0.
NCTC answered right back in the top of the fourth as Amanda Mayfield got a one-out single and Whitney Harris followed with a single. Katie Cowan then doubled to score Mayfield to make it 1-1.
Blinn went ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth thanks to an error. The damage might have been greater, but NCTC centerfielder Brittany Luna threw out a runner trying to score from second to end the inning.
It stayed 2-1 until the sixth when North Central sent eight batters to the plate and scored three runs. Mayfield led off the inning with a line-drive homer to left to tie things up 2-2. Harris and Cowan followed with singles and Ashlee Coleman moved them up a base with a sacrifice bunt. Maureen Chunta then had a base hit to center that scored both Harris and Cowan to put the Lions ahead 4-2. Defensive miscues by NCTC allowed Blinn to tie things up in the bottom of the sixth. Caley Jeter had a double that scored two with two outs to make it 4-4. North Central had a chance to go back on top in the top of the seventh as Mayfield had a one-out single. Luna came in to run for her and Harris followed with a smash double to the wall. Luna tried to score from first on the play but was gunned out at home on a perfect throw.
That set up Blinn’s last-inning heroics. The first batter flew out to Luna in center. Lindsey Brown and Roxanne Rodriguez then had back-to-back singles. The next batter grounded out to short, putting runners at second and third with two outs. Conlunga then delivered a pinch-hit single right down the third base line to end the game. Cowan pitched all seven innings for NCTC. She allowed five runs (two earned) on 11 hits with one strikeout. At the plate, Mayfield was 3 for 4 with an RBI, Harris was 3 for 4, Chunta was 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs, Cowan was 2 for 4 with an RBI, Lewis went 1 for 3, and Lindsey Lacy and Ashley Trefger were both 1 for 4.
In a consolation bracket game Thursday night, the Lady Lions lost to Southeastern Iowa 3-2 to be eliminated from the tournament.
North Central jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but Southeastern Iowa took advantage of an NCTC error and scored three runs in the fourth.
NCTC went up 1-0 in the top of the first as they pounded out four hits. Savannah Lewis singled and Whitney Harris drove her in with an RBI single.
The lead grew to 2-0 in the second. Ashlee Coleman led off with a single, chasing Southeastern Iowa starting pitcher Connie Ferrill from the game. Anuibell Ramirez came in relief and got two outs before Ashley Trefger came through with an RBI single. That would prove to be the last hit they would get off Ramirez, who finished with nine strikeouts including four in a row at one point.
NCTC starter Jessica Newsome was cruising until the fourth when she gave up three straight hits. Anais Puertas had the big hit with a single to center that drove in two. A fielding error on the play allowed Puertas to come all the way around to score with what proved to be the game-winning run.
The Lady Lions only had two baserunners in the final six innings.
Harris was 1 for 3 with an RBI, Trefger was 1 for 4 with an RBI, and Lewis, Mayfield, Coleman and Ashliegh McLean each added a hit.
Newsome gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts.
Eight NCTC sophomores wrapped up a brilliant career at the National Tournament. The sophomores included Brittany Luna, Lindsey Trefger, Ashley Trefger, Amanda Mayfield, Whitney Harris, Ashlee Coleman, Holly Patterson and Candice Mitchell.
The North Central Texas College Lady Lions waited five days to play their Region V championship game, but once the game started, they took control in the first 10 minutes.
The Lady Lions advanced to the championship game with a 2-0 win over Grayson County College on Saturday. But heavy rain and thunderstorms in the McKinney area forced the tournament to be postponed until Thursday.
Grayson downed top seed Temple College 3-0 Thursday afternoon to advance to the championship game against NCTC. But in the finals, North Central scored two first-inning runs to set the tone early and never looked back.
In the top of the first, Ashley Trefger and Savannah Lewis had back-to-back singles. Then with two outs, Amanda Mayfield ripped a double to the centerfield fence that scored both to make it 2-0.
Grayson got a run back in the bottom of the second as Abby Burns doubled and Audra Rhudy followed with an RBI double that made it 2-1.
But in the top of the third, NCTC answered with a two-out rally that got started thanks to a Grayson error. With two outs, Lewis reached on an error and J.J. Addington followed with an RBI double to deep center field to make it 3-1. Mayfield then popped up to the catcher, who dropped the ball. When Grayson tried to pick up the ball and throw Mayfield out at first, the throw was late and Addington scored all the way from second to push the lead to 4-1.
It stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth when Burns led off with a single. Callisburg's Brittney Thomas came in as a pinch runner and with two outs, Cortney Merchant drove Thomas home with an RBI single to make it 4-2.
But North Central freshman pitcher Katie Cowan settled down from there. She had three groundball outs in the seventh to get the win and start the celebration.
Cowan pitched all seven innings and allowed two runs on 10 hits with one strikeout. Rhudy pitched the first three innings for Grayson and allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits with two strikeouts. Burns pitched the final four innings and only allowed one hit and one walk.
At the plate for NCTC, Mayfield was 1 for 3 with 2 RBIs, Addington was 1 for 3 with an RBI, and Lewis, Trefger and Lindsey Lacy all went 1 for 4.
Burns was the top hitter for the Lady Vikings, going 3 for 3 with a double and two singles.
Thursday's regional championship win was the first for the NCTC softball program in its 11-year history. The Lady Lions will now move on to the NJCAA National Tournament in St. George, Utah. That tournament will run May 14-16 and will feature 16 of the top teams in the nation.
The North Central Texas College Lady Lions softball team was on the verge of making school history Saturday before Mother Nature intervened. Now, their shot at history will have to wait until Tuesday.
The Lady Lions defeated Vernon College 3-2 on Friday and downed Grayson County College 2-0 on Saturday afternoon to advance to the championship game of the Region V Tournament. The championship game was to be played late Saturday afternoon, but heavy thunderstorms in Collin County forced the postponement of the tournament. It is scheduled to be completed Tuesday afternoon back at The Ballfields at Craig Ranch in McKinney.
In an elimination game to decide who would play NCTC in the finals, Grayson had a 3-0 lead on No. 1 seed Temple College in the fourth inning. The winner of that game would have to defeat NCTC twice in the championship.
North Central has never advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament, although they have been close on two different occasions. They made it to the finals of the regional tournament in both 2003 and 2005, but were defeated both times.
The Lady Lions got a bye in the first round of the tournament Friday, then knocked off Vernon 3-2 thanks to a solo home run by sophomore Whitney Harris in the sixth inning.
NCTC went up 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning as Ashley Trefger and Savannah Lewis had back-to-back singles and Amanda Mayfield came through with a two-out RBI single to score Trefger.
Vernon took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth on a two-run homer by Bailey Watkins, but North Central tied things up in the bottom of the fourth as Harris walked and Katie Cowan later had an RBI single.
It stayed 2-2 until the sixth when Harris led off the inning with a homer to left. Cowan finished things off with a strikeout of Vernon's Casie Herber in the seventh.
Cowan pitched all seven innings to get the win. She allowed two runs on six hits with three strikeouts and no walks.
At the plate for NCTC, Cowan was 2 for 3 with an RBI, Trefger went 2 for 4, Harris was 1 for 2 with an RBI, Mayfield was 1 for 3 with an RBI, Lewis and Ashliegh McLean were both 1 for 3, and Lindsey Lacy went 1 for 4.
In Saturday's 2-0 win over Grayson, NCTC freshman pitcher Jessica Newsome was stellar, getting the shutout. She allowed six hits with one strikeout and two walks.
It was scoreless until the top of the fourth when Lewis led off the inning with a double and Harris came through with a two-out RBI single.
The lead grew to 2-0 in the fifth as Maureen Chunta, Lacy and Trefger all had singles to load the bases and Lewis had a one-out RBI single to score Chunta.
Lewis went 2 for 4 with an RBI, Chunta was 2 for 3, Harris was 1 for 3 with an RBI, Trefger and Brittany Luna were both 1 for 3, and Lacy was 1 for 4.
Now, the Lady Lions await the winner of the Grayson-Temple game and have to hope their momentum carries over. If so, they will be packing their bags for Nationals in St. George, Utah
There was so much pink around North Central Texas College’s Darwin Fields Saturday that one might have thought there was an early Easter egg hunt. But all the pink was to honor a 5-year old Lindsay girl who is facing a tougher opponent than either the NCTC softball or baseball teams will face all season.
Lily Dieter has been diagnosed with Leukemia and happens to be in the same kindergarten class at Lindsay Elementary as Allison Hedrick, the daughter of NCTC softball coach Van Hedrick. When his team heard that a friend of Allison’s was battling a form of cancer at such a young age, they decided to organize a Lily Dieter Day.
Saturday, hundreds of fans and volunteer cookers showed up to not only watch softball and baseball games, but also honor the little girl and raise money for her medical bills.
By the end of the day, $2,000 had been collected from a special admission charge and donations left at the concession stand. All that money will go to the Dieter family.
First Baptist Church of Gainesville cooked free hamburgers for everyone in attendance, although several people put money in a special donation jar. The Lindsay High School softball team worked the front gate and also sold NCTC softball programs to raise even more money.
The Lady Lions softball team had special pink shirts made with Lily’s name on the sleeve. They wore them for pre-game warm ups and Hedrick and his coaching staff also wore them during the game.
“Coach (Taylor) Christian worked really hard to get that shirt designed,” Coach Hedrick said. “She even drove to Paris to pick them up so we would have them in time for the weekend.”
The team also had pink hair ribbons and sweatbands. The umpires also wore pink sweatbands and even NCTC’s opponent, Cisco Junior College, had pink ribbons in their hair. In addition, the bases were painted pink for the special day.
Before the game started, Gainesville High School choir director Kevin Beall sang the National Anthem. After that, Dieter and her parents, Ronnie and Laura, along with her little sisters Emma and Molly, came to home plate and the Lady Lions team presented her with an autographed pink softball and several other gifts. They even had a special pink t-shirt with her name on the back made for Lily which she wore proudly all day.
“It was nice to see Lily having a good time with her family and friends and just enjoying the day,” Hedrick added. “In addition to raising money for her and her family, maybe we were able to help her forget about hospital visits and chemotherapy and all the struggles she has to deal with, if only for one afternoon.”
After all the festivities were done, the Lady Lions played inspired softball and swept their doubleheader with Cisco. The NCTC baseball team, which was playing Hill College at home Saturday, also won both their games.
“It was a great day all around,” Hedrick said. “Not only did our teams get four wins, we helped out a family and our players made a new friend.”
Hedrick was quick to thank all the volunteers from First Baptist Church, Lindsay High School and Gainesville Health and Rehab, who donated hot dogs for the concession stand.
The North Central Texas College Lady Lions were held without a home run for the first time in four games, but they still managed a doubleheader split with Grayson County College Wednesday in conference softball action in Sherman.
The split, coupled with Vernon College splitting with Cisco Junior College Wednesday, locked up the No. 2 seed in the Region V North Tournament for the Lady Lions.
North Central (43-14 overall, 18-8 conference) took game one against Grayson 3-2 thanks to some fine relief pitching from freshman Katie Cowan.
The Lady Lions jumped on top 2-0 in the top of the first as Lindsey Lacy doubled, Ashley Trefger reached on an error and Amanda Mayfield came through with a two-out single that scored both Lacy and Trefger.
Grayson tied things up in the bottom of the second as Brittany McAnnally tripled, Ashley McAnnally had an RBI single and Rachel Bolding followed with an RBI double.
North Central regained the lead in the top of the third as Savannah Lewis led off with a double and later scored on another RBI single by Mayfield.
Grayson got the leadoff batter on in the bottom of the third, chasing NCTC starting pitcher Ashliegh McLean from the game. But Cowan came in and only allowed one more hit the rest of the game.
McLean pitched two innings and allowed two runs on six hits with one walk. Cowan pitched five innings and allowed one hit with two strikeouts.
At the plate, Mayfield was 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs; Lacy was 3 for 4; Ashlee Coleman was 2 for 3; and Lewis went 2 for 4.
In the second game, Grayson wasted no time getting the lead. Bolding, Ryan Rickman and Abby Burns all scored to put the home team up 3-0.
NCTC got two runs back in the top of the third as Lacy had a bunt single, Lewis singled, J.J. Addington followed with an RBI single, and Lewis later scored on an error.
The Lady Lions took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth as Lewis doubled, Addington reached base trying to bunt her over to third, and both scored when Christin Robertson lifted a fly ball to right that neither Grayson's rightfielder or second baseman could snag.
But the Lady Vikings would send eight batters to the plate in the sixth inning and score three times to go ahead for good.
Jessica Newsome started the game in the circle for NCTC. The freshman allowed four runs on 11 hits in five innings. She had three strikeouts and two walks. Cowan pitched one inning and allowed two runs on three hits.
At the plate, Lewis was 2 for 4; Addington was 1 for 3 with an RBI; Mayfield, Whitney Harris and Maureen Chunta were all 1 for 3; and Lacy went 1 for 4.
The North Central Texas College softball team continued to ride a wave of momentum heading into next weekend's regional tournament by sweeping a doubleheader at Hill College Monday in Hillsboro.
The Lady Lions, who have already clinched a berth in the Region V tournament, can wrap up the No. 2 seed by winning two games in the season's final week. They travel to Grayson County College Wednesday before ending the regular season Saturday at first-place Temple College.
Against Hill, NCTC won 13-1 in the first game and 7-1 in the second. The Lady Lions, who had three home runs in a home sweep of Ranger Saturday, hit four more Monday including two more from sophomore third baseman Whitney Harris, who has hit four home runs in the past three days.
In game one, North Central (42-13 overall, 17-7 conference) fell behind 1-0 in the second, but took the lead for good in the top of the third. Lindsey Lacy singled and stole second, Ashley Trefger followed with an RBI single and Savannah Lewis had a 2-run homer to make it 3-1.
The Lions increased their lead to 7-1 in the fourth. Ashlee Coleman reached on an error, Harris singled, Trefger had a two-out single that brought home two, and Lewis followed with her second-straight 2-run home run.
In the fifth, Amanda Mayfield reached on an error and Brittany Luna came in to run for her at first. Lindsey Trefger then had a sacrifice and Katie Cowan followed with an RBI single to make it 8-1.
The visitors put the game away in the top of the sixth with five more runs. Ashley Trefger and Lewis both had singles, J.J. Addington walked, Mayfield had an RBI single, Lindsey Trefger reached on an error that scored two, Harris had an RBI single and Holly Patterson had a pinch-hit RBI single.
Cowan pitched six innings to get the win. She allowed one run on eight hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
At the plate, Lewis was 3 for 4 with two home runs and 4 RBIs; Ashley Trefger was 4 for 5 with 3 RBIs; Harris was 2 for 3 with an RBI; Mayfield was 2 for 4 with an RBI; Patterson was 1 for 1 with an RBI; Cowan was 1 for 3 with an RBI; Addington was 1 for 3; and Lacy was 1 for 4.
In game two, Lewis moved from shortstop to the pitching circle and pitched a gem. The freshman pitched all seven innings and did not allow an earned run on just four hits with one strikeout.
North Central went up 1-0 in the second on a solo home run by Harris. They added another run in the fifth as Maureen Chunta walked, Lacy reached on an error, Ashley Trefger had a sacrifice and Lewis brought home Chunta with a sacrifice fly that made it 2-0.
It became 6-0 in the sixth. Mayfield doubled, Patterson reached on an error, Chunta had an RBI single, Lacy tripled to score two more, and Ashley Trefger followed with an RBI single.
The lead grew to 7-0 in the top of the seventh as Harris hit her second home run of the game. Hill scored one run in the bottom of the seventh thanks to an error.
At the plate, Harris was 2 for 3 with two solo homers; Lacy was 2 for 3 with a triple and 2 RBIs; Lewis and Chunta were both 1 for 2 with an RBI; Ashley Trefger was 1 for 3 with an RBI; Coleman was 1 for 3; and Mayfield went 1 for 4.
The final home doubleheader for nine North Central Texas College sophomores turned out to be a good one thanks to three home runs and an outstanding pitching performance.
Sophomore Whitney Harris had two home runs and 3 RBIs in the first game, sophomore Candice Mitchell threw a one-hit shutout in the first game, and sophomore Amanda Mayfield added a home run and 6 RBIs in the second game as the Lady Lions swept Ranger College 9-0 in game one and 11-1 in game two.
In the first game, Mitchell pitched five innings and only allowed a fourth-inning single to get the win.
The NCTC offense would give Mitchell plenty of run support in the second inning as they sent 12 batters to the plate and scored seven runs.
Mayfield led off with a double and later scored on an RBI single by Ashlee Coleman. Harris then blasted a two-run homer over the scoreboard in left to make it 3-0. Brittany Luna was then hit by a pitch, Lindsey Lacy singled, Ashley Trefger drove Luna home with an RBI single, Savannah Lewis reached on a fielder's choice, J.J. Addington had a single that scored Lacy and Trefger and Christin Robertson had an RBI single that scored Lewis to make it 7-0.
It became 8-0 in the third as Harris blasted her second-straight home run. In the fourth, Holly Patterson had a pinch-hit double and Coleman drove her home with an RBI single.
Harris finished the game 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs; Coleman was 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs; Addington was 1 for 2 with 2 RBIs; Robertson was 1 for 1 with an RBI; Trefger was 1 for 3 with an RBI; Lacy was 2 for 3; and Patterson was 1 for 1.
In the second game, North Central got their bats started early thanks to the long ball again. Trefger doubled and Lewis singled to put runners at second and third. Then with two outs, Mayfield hit a shot over the centerfield fence to make it 3-0.
Ranger got their only run of the day in the top of the second thanks to an NCTC error. In the bottom of the second, the Lady Lions scored five times to go ahead 8-1.
Harris stayed red hot with a single, Maureen Chunta and Lacy followed with singles to load the bases. Trefger then had an RBI single that scored Harris. Later with two outs, Addington had a single that scored Chunta and Lacy. Mayfield then delivered a single that scored Trefger and Addington.
The lead grew to double digits in the fourth. Trefger walked, Lewis doubled, Addington followed with a double that scored two, Mayfield followed with an RBI double that scored Addington, and Ashliegh McLean had a pinch-hit single that scored Mayfield to make it 11-1.
Mayfield finished the game 3 for 3 with 6 RBIs; Addington was 2 for 3 with 4 RBIs; Trefger was 2 for 2 with an RBI; McLean was 1 for 1 with an RBI; Lewis was 2 for 3; Harris, Coleman and Chunta were all 1 for 2; and Lacy was 1 for 3.
Jessica Newsome pitched four innings to get the win. She allowed one run on four hits with six strikeouts and one walk. Katie Cowan pitched one inning and only allowed one hit.
It was the final home game for Brittany Luna, Lindsey Trefger, Ashley Trefger, Whitney Harris, Amanda Mayfield, Ashlee Coleman, Candice Mitchell, Alyssa Warren and Holly Patterson.
North Central had a 22-4 record at home this year including 12 run-rule wins. They are currently 40-13 overall and 15-7 in conference.
Just call them the Cardiac Kids.
The North Central Texas College Lady Lions have made a habit of late-inning heroics this season, especially at home. On Wednesday, they did it again to sweep a conference doubleheader from Hill College at Darwin Field.
After letting a 5-4 lead slip away in the top of the seventh, North Central got a walk-off grand slam by sophomore Amanda Mayfield to take a
9-5 win.
The Lady Lions have now scored at least nine runs in four straight games as they continue to lead the conference in hitting.
NCTC won the first game 9-1 in just five innings due to the eight-after-five run rule.
Hill got on the scoreboard first thanks to a pair of singles in the top of the first. North Central got that run back in the bottom of the second as Christin Robertson singled and later scored on a two-out triple by Whitney Harris.
The Lady Lions made it 4-1 in the third as Ashley Trefger and Savannah Lewis had back-to-back singles and J.J. Addington followed with a 3-run homer to center. The lead grew to 5-1 in the fourth as Harris singled, Lindsey Lacy followed with a bunt single and Trefger later had an RBI groundout.
The home team put the game away in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four times to evoke the run rule. Robertson led off with a single, Ashlee Coleman reached on an error, Katie Cowan had an RBI single, Lacy added an RBI single, Cowan scored on an error, and Maureen Chunta finished things off with an RBI single to right.
Cowan pitched all five innings to get the win. She only allowed one run on four hits with one strikeout and no walks.
At the plate, Addington was 1 for 3 with a home run and 3 RBIs; Harris was 2 for 2 with an RBI; Lacy and Trefger were both 2 for 3 with an RBI; Cowan was 1 for 3 with an RBI; Chunta was 1 for 4 with an RBI; Robertson went 2 for 3; Coleman was 1 for 2; and Lewis was 1 for 3.
The second game started just like the first. Hill went up 1-0 in the top of the first inning and NCTC answered in the second. Mayfield had a two-out double and scored when Alyssa Warren reached base on an error.
The NCTC lead became 2-1 in the third as Lacy singled, stole second and later scored on an RBI single by Lewis with two outs. It became 3-1 in the fourth as Mayfield singled and Lacy drove her home with a triple to center.
Hill went up 4-3 in the fifth thanks to a three-run inning that chased starting pitcher Jessica Newsome from the game.
The Lady Lions regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Lewis reached on a fielder's choice and Addington hammered her second home run of the day to make it 5-4. It stayed that way until the top of the seventh when the Lady Rebels tied things up.
But in the bottom of the seventh, Lewis, Addington and Robertson all reached base ahead of Mayfield, who launched a bomb over the centerfield fence for the game-winning homer.
Mayfield finished 3 for 4 with 4 RBIs; Addington was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs; Lacy was 2 for 3 with an RBI; Lewis was 1 for 4 with an RBI; and Trefger and Ashleigh McLean were both 1 for 4.
On the mound, Newsome pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed four runs (three
earned) on two hits with four strikeouts and five walks. Cowan came in and pitched 2 1/3 innings to get the win. She allowed one run on four hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
Before Saturday's game with Cisco, the North Central Texas College Lady Lions softball team presented five-year old Lily Dieter of Lindsay with an autographed ball and some other gifts to let her know they are supporting her as she battles Leukemia. They followed that with two more gifts: Two wins via the run-rule.
The Lady Lions beat Cisco 12-2 in the first game and 12-4 in the second as both games ended in the sixth inning due to the eight-after-five mercy rule.
In game one, North Central pounded out 16 hits and ended the game on a 3-run homer to center field by freshman J.J. Addington in the bottom of the sixth.
The home team jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning. Maureen Chunta led off with an infield single, Ashley Trefger walked, Addington had an RBI single to score Chunta and Christin Robertson followed with an RBI single that scored Trefger. Later in the inning with two outs, Katie Cowan singled to score Addington.
The Lady Lions made it 5-0 in the third as Cowan led off with a double and later scored when Whitney Harris reached on an error. Later in the inning, Trefger singled home Harris.
Cisco used a single and a triple in the top of the fifth to make it 5-1, but NCTC answered in the bottom of the fifth. Savannah Lewis had a bunt single and Addington reached on a fielder's choice. Ashlee Coleman then ripped a double that scored both runners to make it 7-1.
Cisco got a solo home run in the top of the sixth to cut their deficit to 7-2, but North Central ended the game in the bottom of the sixth by scoring five times.
Harris started the inning with a triple but was later thrown out at the plate. Lindsey Lacy reached on a fielder's choice, Chunta walked and Trefger hammered a triple that scored both runners to make it 9-2.
Lewis was then hit by a pitch, bringing Addington to the plate with two runners aboard. The freshman then sent a deep shot over the centerfield wall for a 3-run homer to end the game.
Cowan pitched all six innings for NCTC to get the win. She allowed two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and no walks.
At the plate, Addington was 2 for 5 with 4 RBIs; Trefger went 3 for 4 with 3 RBIs; Coleman was 1 for 4 with 2 RBIs; Cowan was 3 for 4 with an RBI; Robertson was 1 for 3 with an RBI; Harris went 3 for 4; Lacy was 1 for 3; and Chunta and Lewis were both 1 for 4.
In the second game, Cisco struck first with a leadoff triple that eventually scored on a wild pitch to give them a 1-0 lead. But their lead didn't last for long as the Lions plated five runs in their half of the first.
Ashleigh McLean was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Ashley Trefger then walked and Addington reached on an error that allowed McLean to score. Robertson then got an RBI on a fielder's choice that plated Trefger. Cowan then had a single that scored both Addington and Robertson. Cowan later scored on a popout by Harris to make it 5-1.
In the third inning, the Lady Lions scored four more times to increase their lead to 9-1. Cowan reached on a fielder's choice, Alyssa Warren doubled and Harris was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Amanda Mayfield then had a 3-RBI triple to clear the bases. McLean followed with a sacrifice fly to center to score Mayfield.
The Lady Wranglers got a run in the fourth on three-straight singles with two outs, but NCTC answered in the bottom of the fourth as Lindsey Trefger had a pinch-hit inside-the-park home run to right to make it 10-2.
Cisco avoided the run rule in the fifth with a two-out single that scored two runners.
The game advanced to the bottom of the sixth where North Central finally put it away. Addington reached on a fielder's choice and Cowan had an RBI double. Warren walked and Harris singled to load the bases for Mayfield, who hit a hot shot through the hole for a single that scored the 12th run.
Mayfield finished the game 2 for 4 with 4 RBIs; Cowan was 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs; Robertson was 2 for 4 with an RBI; McLean and Lindsey Trefger were both 1 for 2 with an RBI, Addington had an RBI; Warren was 1 for 2; Harris was 1 for 3; and Lewis was 1 for 4.
Jessica Newsome started the game in the pitching circle for NCTC and got the win. She pitched four innings and allowed two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Candice Mitchell pitched two innings and allowed two runs on four hits with one strikeout and no walks.
The Lady Lions will be back at home Wednesday to host Hill College in a conference doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
Five-year old Lily Dieter of Lindsay has received lots of support in her battle with Leukemia and now she can add the North Central Texas College softball team to her list of friends.
Lily, the daughter of Ronnie and Laura Dieter, is in the same kindergarten class at Lindsay Elementary as Allison Hedrick, the daughter of NCTC head softball coach and athletic director Van Hedrick. When the coach and his team heard of the struggles that Lily has to endure with chemotherapy and medical bills and frequent trips to Fort Worth to visit the hospital, they decided to help.
“I know it must be really tough on Lily to go through that at her age and on the family to take off work for her treatments and things like that,” Hedrick said. “Hospital visits aren’t cheap and even the gas driving back and forth to Fort Worth can add up in a hurry. We just wanted to be able to contribute a little to the family and more importantly, we wanted Lily to know that every single member of our team is supporting her.”
The Lady Lions team visited Dieter’s kindergarten class on Monday to invite them to a special Lily Dieter Day at Darwin Field in Gainesville this Saturday. The softball team will be hosting Cisco Junior College, while the baseball team will be taking on Hill College. While NCTC softball and baseball games are usually free for fans, this Saturday spectators will have to pay an admission charge with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Lily Dieter fund.
First Baptist Church of Gainesville will be cooking free hamburgers for everyone in attendance, although a donation jar will be set at the concession stand with all the money collected also going to the special fund.
In addition, fans are encouraged to wear something pink to show support for Lily and others battling cancer. The Lady Lions and Cisco softball teams will wear pink ribbons in their hair and even the bases will be painted pink.
The Lindsay High School softball team will be helping out Saturday by working the ticket table and selling programs. Robin Hess’ team recently invited Lily to throw out the first pitch at one of their games and presented her with an autographed softball.
Admission to Saturday’s NCTC games is $3 for adults and $2 for children under 18. NCTC students can also be admitted for $2 with their Fans admitted to the ballpark will be able to watch both the softball and baseball doubleheaders, which are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. First Baptist Church will be cooking hamburgers throughout the afternoon.
Four area high school softball teams will join the effort to help the Dieter family by playing at NCTC Friday.
The Lindsay Lady Knights will face the Muenster Lady Hornets at 3 p.m., with the Gainesville Lady Leopards hosting the Whitesboro Lady Cats at 5 p.m.
Muenster’s softball team gave up a home game and agreed to move the game to Gainesville to be able to help out, while Gainesville and Whitesboro agreed to push their game back 30 minutes to help the cause.
An admission charge will be collected at Friday’s games by the NCTC softball team with all proceeds going to the Lily Dieter fund. The Lady Lions softball team will also be working the concession stand to raise more money. Gainesville Health and Rehab will be cooking hot dogs for the concession stand and donated the food and the labor.
WACO — The North Central Texas College Lady Lions picked up two big conference road wins Wednesday, sweeping a doubleheader from McLennan Community College in Waco.
NCTC took the first game 6-4 thanks to a three-run fifth inning. The Lady Lions took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first as Savannah Lewis singled, J.J. Addington walked and Christin Robertson had a 2-RBI double.
McLennan came back with a run in the first and two in the third to go up 3-2, but NCTC tied things up in the fourth as Ashley Trefger doubled, Whitney Harris had a bunt single and Trefger scored on a throwing error.
The Lady Lions went up 6-3 in the fifth as Alyssa Warren reached on a fielder's choice, Ashlee Coleman singled, Trefger doubled to score Warren and Coleman, and Ashleigh McLean followed with an RBI single.
McLennan scored a run in the bottom of the fifth, but North Central held on for the win.
McLean pitched the first four innings and got the win. She allowed four runs on five hits with one strikeout and four walks. Katie Cowan pitched the final three innings to get the save. She had four strikeouts and only allowed one hit.
At the plate, Trefger was 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles and 2 RBIs; Robertson was 2 for 3 with a double and 2 RBIs; McLean had a hit and an RBI; and Lewis, Addington, Coleman, Harris and Maureen Chunta each added singles.
In the second game, NCTC held on for a 6-5 victory to get the sweep.
McLennan went up 2-0 in the bottom of the second, but North Central responded with two runs of their own in the fourth. Addington walked, Robertson singled, Coleman had a sacrifice, Lindsey Lacy walked to load the bases and Harris drove home Addington with a single. Robertson later scored on an error.
MCC went on top 3-2 in the fifth, but again NCTC tied things up with a single run in the sixth. Coleman reached on an error, Lacy singled and Lindsey Trefger walked to load the bases. Chunta then got an RBI on a fielder's choice to make it 3-3.
It stayed that way until the seventh when the Lady Lions scored three runs in their half of the inning. Lewis was hit by a pitch, Holly Patterson sacrificed her to second, Coleman then singled, Lacy had an RBI single to score Lewis, and Amanda Mayfield had a pinch-hit single that scored both Coleman and Lacy.
McLennan scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but again Cowan came in and got the save.
Jessica Newsome got the win for NCTC. She pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and four walks. Cowan pitched 1/3 of an inning and allowed one hit with one strikeout.
At the plate, Lacy was 2 for 3 with an RBI; Mayfield was 1 for 1 with 2 RBIs; Harris was 1 for 3 with an RBI; and Chunta, Robertson and Coleman each added singles.
North Central will be back at home Saturday for a doubleheader with Cisco Junior College. Fans are encouraged to wear something pink as the team honors five-year old Lily Dieter of Lindsay who is battling Leukemia.
North Central Texas College softball fans saw an exciting come-from-behind win over Grayson County College Wednesday, but Thursday's victory topped that one.
The Lady Lions got a walk-off two-run double from sophomore third baseman Whitney Harris to defeat Grayson 7-6 and sweep the two-game home series.
North Central trailed 6-3 going into the bottom of the fifth but they managed to scored two runs in the fifth and two more in the seventh to pick up their fourth-straight win and move them within two games of first place in the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference.
Trailing 6-5 in their last at-bat, Ashlee Coleman led off the inning with a walk. Ashleigh McLean tried to move her to second with a bunt, but Grayson pitcher Abby Burns fielded the bunt and threw out Coleman at second. Brittany Luna then singled to move McLean to third base and Luna advanced to second on a bobble in the outfield. Harris then smashed a shot over the Grayson left fielder to plate both McLean and Luna to end the game.
North Central jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning as J.J. Addington started a two-out rally with a triple. Christin Robertson then walked and Coleman followed with a two-run double. She would later score on a wild pitch.
Grayson got two runs back in the top of the fourth as Brittany Meek singled and Mandi Worthington hit a two-run homer to dead centerfield. The Lady Vikings added four more runs in the fifth as Courtney Merchant singled, Ashley McAnnally walked, Rachel Bolding singled, Worthington had an RBI single, Ryan Rickman had a two-run double and Burns got an RBI on a sacrifice fly to center.
It stayed 6-3 until the bottom of the fifth when Addington reached on a fielder's choice, Robertson singled and Luna had a two-run single, making it 6-5 and setting up the seventh-inning dramatics.
Coleman finished the game 2 for 2 with 2 RBIs, Luna was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs, Haris was 1 for 2 with 2 RBIs, Alyssa Warren, Ashley Trefger and Robertson all went 1 for 3 and Addington was 1 for 4.
Jessica Newsome started the game in the pitching circle for the Lady Lions. She went four innings and allowed five runs on six hits with five strikeouts and one walk. McLean came in relief and pitched three innings and allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts and one walk.
Burns pitched all seven innings for Grayson, allowing seven runs on nine hits with six strikeouts and six walks. Worthington was the top hitter with a 3 for 4 game including a home run and 3 RBIs.
North Central's game with Temple College originally scheduled for Saturday has been pushed back a day to Sunday. The doubleheader will begin at 1 p.m., at Darwin Field in Gainesville.
 
There were two storms at North Central Texas College’s Darwin Field Wednesday. One gave the Lady Lions softball team a 6-4 win over Grayson County College and the other forced the cancellation of the second game of the doubleheader.
The first storm happened in the bottom of the sixth inning as NCTC scored five runs to turn a 4-1 deficit into a 6-4 win. After the game ended, rain and lightning forced officials to call off the second game. The second game will be played Thursday at 2 p.m.
Grayson, who entered Wednesday alone in first place in the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference with an undefeated record, jumped out to a 3-0 lead. In the second inning, Audra Rhudy, Courtney Merchant and Ashley McAnnally all singled. Rhudy eventually scored on an NCTC error to make it 1-0. They added two more runs in the top of the third as Mandi Worthington singled and Ryan Rickman blasted a two-run homer to center.
North Central (31-9 overall, 6-3 conference) got one of those runs back in the bottom of the third as Alyssa Warren hit a two-out solo home run to centerfield to make it 3-1.
Grayson (17-10, 6-1) made it 4-1 in the fourth as Rachel Bolding led off with a single and later scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Abby Burns.
The Lady Lions had several chances to score in the first five innings but could never get a run across. Ashley Trefger had a two-out triple in the second but was stranded at third. Savannah Lewis and J.J Addington singled in the fourth and Ashlee Coleman added a walk, but NCTC left the bases loaded. In the fifth, Ashleigh McLean and Lewis both singled, but both were stranded.
The home team finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth. Christin Robertson led off with a single and Trefger followed with an RBI double to make it 4-2. After a pitching change, Coleman walked and Katie Cowan reached on an error to load the bases. Holly Patterson then got a pinch-hit RBI on a groundout to short to make it 4-3. After another groundout, McLean hit a hot shot to second that Merchant couldn’t handle that allowed Coleman to score to tie things up. Lewis then ripped a single to left that brought home Maureen Chunta (who was pinch running for Cowan) and McLean to make it 6-4.
Cowan gave up a hit in the top of the seventh, but retired the other three batters she faced to get the win. She went seven innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on 12 hits with three strikeouts and one walk.
At the plate for NCTC, Lewis was 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs, Trefger was 2 for 3 with an RBI, Addington was 2 for 4, Warren went 1 for 4 with an RBI, McLean was 1 for 4 and Patterson added an RBI.
For Grayson, Rhudy pitched five innings and allowed three runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and one walk. Merchant came in relief and was credited with the loss. She pitched one inning and allowed three unearned runs on one hit with a walk.
Rickman was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBIs, Worthington went 3 for 4 and Rhudy was 2 for 4.
Fans of the television show “Home Improvement” might see a couple of familiar faces at North Central Texas College softball games this spring.
NCTC sophomores Ashley and Lindsey Trefger appeared in four episodes of the popular show starring Tim Allen when they were 9-years old. The twins played the nieces of Allen’s character, Tim “The Toolman” Taylor.
The Trefgers appeared in television commercials and shows starting when they were 3-months old. Their first commercial was for Honey Bunches of Oats cereal. They also appeared in commercials for Sony cameras among other products. They did four episodes of Home Improvement in 1998 at the age of 9 and also appeared in the television series “Murphy Brown.” When they were 10, they appeared in the movie “Cast Away” starring Tom Hanks. The even received the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series.
They lived in California until the age of 16 when the family moved to Burleson. Now, they are members of the Lady Lions softball team that won a conference championship last season.
For the twins, having a chance to be on “Home Improvement” was a great experience.
“It was a lot of fun to meet Tim Allen, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and everyone else,” Lindsey said. “They were all really nice to us. We never felt nervous about working with big actors. They made it very comfortable for us.”
“In between takes, Tim Allen would come in and tell some jokes,” Ashley added. “We didn’t really get them then because we were so young, but now we’re like wow that was funny.”
Being a child actor had its drawbacks. Each episode took a week to rehearse and film, so the twins would have to miss school for a week to be on the set. Their teacher would send assignments with them and the television show would provide an on-set teacher for the twins and other child actors.
As for acting lessons, Lindsey said the pair went to a few, but they didn’t need many.
“We took some acting classes, not too many, but we went to a few just to see what it was like before,” she said.
“Home Improvement” still appears in syndication on several stations including TBS, so the four episodes in which the twins were a part of will come on from time to time, leading to their cell phones lighting up with messages.
“We get a lot of text messages when we are on,” Lindsey said. “They say hey we are watching you on TV and stuff like that. It’s funny to see us when we were little.”
The twins also get lots of friend requests on Internet social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook from people that saw the show.
“We won’t get recognized on the street, but people will get our e-mail somehow and contact us online and be like, oh my gosh you were on Home Improvement,” Ashley said. “Everytime a show airs, we get lots of friend requests and messages asking us if we were the twins that were on it, which is kind of weird since it was so long ago.”
For now, the twins have put their acting careers behind them and are focusing on college and helping the Lady Lions to a second-straight conference title.
North Central head softball coach Van Hedrick says both players have been a big part of the program the last two years, but he still has trouble telling the two apart. He refers to Ashley as T.I. (twin infielder) and Lindsey as T.O. (twin outfielder).
“Usually I just end up calling them ‘twin’ and they both know to turn around and look at me,” the coach said.
The Trefgers say they have enjoyed their two years in Gainesville at NCTC.
“It’s been fun,” Lindsey said. “All of the girls on the team have been really welcoming. It’s been a great time. Winning conference last year was really great.”
As for any chance of the two getting back into acting, Lindsey says it probably won’t happen.
“I don’t think so only because if we haven’t by now then we probably won’t,” she said. “The reason we stopped is because we wanted to be normal kids.”
The North Central Texas College Lady Lions softball team spent the weekend out west and came home with a 3-1 record in two conference doubleheaders.
There were several bright spots for NCTC as freshman shortstop Savannah Lewis hit three home runs and freshman pitcher Jessica Newsome threw a perfect game.
On Saturday, the Lady Lions split two games with Ranger College. Sunday, NCTC won both games against Cisco Junior College.
In Saturday's first game, North Central (30-9 overall, 5-3 conference) scored eight runs in the fifth inning to run-rule the Rangers 10-1.
They got on the board in the top of the first as Alyssa Warren doubled and J.J. Addington drove her home with an RBI double. Ranger tied things up in the second, but NCTC took a 2-1 lead in the third as Addington walked and Ashlee Coleman brought her home with a two-out single.
The Lady Lions put the game away in the top of the fifth thanks to a big inning from Lewis, who led off the inning with a solo home run and later added a grand slam. Holly Patterson added a sacrifice fly to the outfield wall that brought home a run, and Ashley Trefger and Christin Robertson both had RBI singles. Lewis, Trefger, Addington, Robertson, Coleman, Katie Cowan and Brittany Luna all scored in the inning.
Ashleigh McLean pitched five innings to get the win for NCTC. She allowed just one run on four hits with two strikeouts and two walks.
Lewis finished with two home runs and 5 RBIs, and Trefger, Cowan and Coleman each had multiple-hit games.
The NCTC bats went silent in the second game as the Lady Lions were shut out 3-0. They only managed four hits as Maureen Chunta had a pair of singles, Lewis had a double and Trefger added a single.
Candice Mitchell pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and five walks. Newsome pitched 2/3 of an inning and did not allow a run or a hit while striking out one and walking one.
In Sunday's first game against Cisco, NCTC slugged out a 12-5 win.
The Lady Lions went up 2-0 in the first inning as Lewis walked, Addington singled and Robertson drove them both home with a single. Cisco tied things up in the bottom of the first, but North Central responded with three more runs in the second. Coleman doubled, Whitney Harris walked, Warren had a 2 RBI double and later scored on an error.
The lead grew to 7-2 in the third. Addington doubled, Trefger had an RBI single and Harris got an RBI on a bases-loaded walk. They made it 11-2 in the top of the fourth. Lewis walked, Addington singled, Trefger had an RBI single, Coleman walked, Cowan reached on a fielder's choice and Harris had a triple that scored three.
Cisco got a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth to make it 11-5. North Central put one more on the board in the sixth as Robertson singled and later scored on an RBI fielder's choice by Harris.
Cowan pitched seven innings for NCTC and got the win. She allowed five runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and no walks.
Harris was the star at the plate with a triple, two walks and 5 RBIs. Robertson was 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs and Warren had a double and 2 RBIs.
The Lady Lions won the second game against Cisco 10-0, but the story of the game was the pitching performance of Newsome, who retired all 15 batters she faced for a perfect game. She also recorded six strikeouts in five innings.
NCTC went up 1-0 in the second as Robertson walked and later came around to score. The lead grew to 4-0 in the third as Warren walked, Chunta reached on a fielder's choice, Lewis had an RBI single and Addington ripped a 2 RBI double.
In the fifth inning, North Central scored six times. Lewis ripped a deep home run to get things started. Addington then walked, Robertson had an RBI single, Trefger followed with an RBI single, Coleman singled and Holly Patterson hit a three-run homer.
Patterson was 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs, Lewis went 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs, Addington was 1 for 2 with 2 RBIs, Robertson was 2 for 2 with an RBI, and Trefger was 1 for 2 with an RBI.
The Lady Lions will return home Wednesday to host conference-leading Grayson County College.
Wednesday’s North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference opening doubleheader was a topsy-turvy one for the North Central Texas College Lady Lions softball team.
NCTC was run-ruled by Vernon College 9-1 in the first game, but came back with a strong pitching performance by freshman Katie Cowan to win game two 4-1.
In the first game, Vernon (18-3 overall, 1-1 conference) got on the scoreboard first in the top of the second inning thanks to a solo home run to dead centerfield. North Central (24-7, 1-1) answered in the bottom of the second as Katie Welborn led off with a single and Ashlee Coleman followed with a single. Maureen Chunta came in to run for Welborn and scored on a two-out single by Alyssa Warren. Coleman tried to score on the play as well but was gunned out at home plate on a nice relay play from the Vernon leftfielder, third baseman and catcher.
The Lady Chaps took control of the game in the third inning, but NCTC gave them some help. Vernon scored six runs in the inning thanks to two Lady Lion errors and two other fly balls that NCTC outfielders misjudged.
Vernon added two more runs in the fourth inning thanks to four hits to make it 9-1. North Central had a chance to score in the bottom of the fourth as Ashlee Coleman led off with a double, but Brittany Luna’s line drive was snagged at third and Coleman was doubled-off at second to end the threat.
That wasn’t the only time the Lady Lions had chances to score. They left eight runners on base including the bases loaded in the fifth.
Coleman finished the game 2 for 2, Warren was 2 for 3 with an RBI, and Welborn, Ashley Trefger, Savannah Lewis and Christin Robertson each added singles.
Jessica Newsome started the game in the pitching circle for NCTC. She went 2 2/3 innings and allowed seven runs (five earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts and one walk. Ashliegh McLean pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on five hits with one strikeout. Candice Mitchell pitched one inning and did not allow a run or a hit.
North Central rebounded in the second game, but it took them a while to get going. They left a runner at second base in the third inning and left two runners in scoring position in the fourth, but finally got on the scoreboard in the fifth.
McLean led off the inning with a walk, Lindsey Trefger moved her to second with a sacrifice bunt, Warren then walked and Ashley Trefger reached on an error to load the bases. Lewis then had a sacrifice fly to center to bring home McLean. Welborn followed with a single that scored both Warren and Trefger to make it 3-0.
The Lady Lions increased their lead to 4-0 in the sixth as McLean singled and later scored on an RBI single by Ashley Trefger. Vernon’s only run of the game came on a home run in the top of the seventh.
Cowan had a strong pitching performance for NCTC, allowing one run on just five hits with six strikeouts and no walks.
At the plate, McLean was 2 for 2, Welborn was 1 for 2 with 2 RBIs, Ashley Trefger and Lewis both had a single and an RBI, and Coleman added a single.
One week after having their seven-game winning streak snapped, the North Central Texas College Lady Lions softball team ran their latest win streak back to seven with a doubleheader sweep of Murray State (Okla.) Monday in Tishomingo, Okla.
The Lady Lions (23-6) got good pitching and timely hitting to get the two wins. NCTC pitchers only allowed eight hits in 14 innings.
North Central won game one 5-1. They trailed 1-0 going into the fourth, but Ashley Trefger reached on a fielder’s choice, Katie Welborn walked, Lindsey Trefger came in as a pinch-runner for Welborn and stole second, and both Trefger sisters scored on a single by Ashlee Coleman.
The Lady Lions made it 3-1 in the sixth as J.J. Addington double, Welborn had a sacrifice and Coleman drove Addington home with a single. The lead grew to 5-1 in the top of the seventh as Lindsey Lacy singled, stole second and Alyssa Warren ripped an RBI double. Warren would later score on an error.
Amanda Mayfield got the start in the pitching circle and picked up the win. She went four innings and allowed one run on three hits with six strikeouts and three walks. Ashliegh McLean came in to pitch with a runner on and no outs in the fifth to get the save. She pitched three innings and did not allow a hit with four strikeouts.
At the plate, Coleman went 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs, Warren was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI, Lacy was 2 for 3 with 2 stolen bases, Addington was 1 for 3 with a double, and Brittany Luna and Whitney Harris both added singles.
North Central won the second game 3-0 thanks to a strong pitching performance by Candice Mitchell. The sophomore went all seven innings and only allowed five hits with three strikeouts and one walk.
NCTC got on the board in the first inning as McLean singled, stole second, went to third on a sacrifice by Ashley Trefger, then scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Christin Robertson.
It stayed 1-0 until the fifth when Ashley Trefger singled, Robertson reached on a fielder’s choice, Addington walked to load the bases, and both Trefger and Robertson scored on a Murray error.
Addington finished the game 2 for 3 with a double, McLean was 2 for 4 with 2 stolen bases, and Ashley Trefger and Mayfield both added singles.
The North Central Texas College Lady Lions softball team won three games in the cold Saturday against competition from Oklahoma.
In the first game, the Lady Lions pounded Murray State 17-3 in a game that was called after five innings due to the run rule.
NCTC (21-6) scored three times in the first inning as Alyssa Warren walked, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. With two outs, J.J. Addington drove her home with an RBI single. Christin Robertson then reached on a fielder’s choice and Katie Welborn drove them both home with a single.
Murray State scored a run in the bottom of the first, but NCTC made it 4-1 in the second as Warren again walked and stole second and third and Brittany Luna brought her home with a sacrifice. The lead grew to 6-1 in the third as Robertson reached on a fielder’s choice, Ashlee Coleman had an RBI single and Whitney Harris followed with an RBI double.
The Lady Lions scored five more times in the top of the fourth. Warren reached on an error, Luna had an RBI single, Savannah Lewis singled, Addington had an RBI single, Robertson followed with another RBI single and Coleman later singled and scored.
In the top of the fifth, North Central batted around for the second-straight inning and scored six more runs to make it 17-1. Luna reached on an error and moved to second on a wild pitch. Holly Patterson had a pinch-hit RBI double, Addington followed with an RBI double of her own, Robertson singled, Welborn had an RBI on a fielder’s choice, Coleman doubled, Lindsey Lacy had a single that scored two, Luna had a double that scored two and Patterson followed with an RBI single
Murray scored twice in the bottom of the fifth for the final margin.
Ashliegh McLean pitched the first three innings for NCTC and picked up the win. She allowed one run on four hits with four strikeouts and one walk. Candice Mitchell pitched the final two innings and allowed two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and one walk.
The Lady Lions faced Western Oklahoma in the second game. NCTC only managed three hits and struck out 15 times, but still won 3-1.
North Central freshman Jessica Newsome kept her team in the game from the pitching circle, allowing just one unearned run on four hits with four strikeouts and no walks.
Western led 1-0 going to the sixth inning when Lewis was hit by a pitch and later scored on a wild pitch, Addington walked and Welborn blasted a two-run homer.
The Lady Lions faced Western Oklahoma again in the third game of the day and won 11-2.
NCTC scored six runs in the first inning. McLean and Ashley Trefger both had singles, Addington followed with an RBI single, Welborn then had an RBI single, Coleman walked, Harris added an RBI single, Luna had a sacrifice fly that scored a run, and Lacy had a single that scored two.
Western scored two runs in their half of the first inning, but NCTC answered with three more in the second. Addington and Welborn both reached on errors, Coleman followed with a walk, Harris ripped a double that scored two and Coleman came home on another Western error.
The Lady Lions added single runs in the third and fourth innings. In the third, Trefger reached on an error and Patterson later drove her home with a sacrifice fly to center. In the fourth, Luna singled and Trefger drove her home with a single.
Katie Cowan picked up the win on the mound for NCTC. She went four innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Mitchell pitched one inning and did not allow a run or a hit and had one strikeout.
For the day, Welborn finished 4 for 10 with a homer, 6 RBIs and 4 runs scored; Luna went 3 for 6 with 5 RBIs and 3 runs scored; Lacy was 4 for 7 with 4 RBIs and 2 runs scored; Harris was 3 for 6 with 3 RBIs and 1 run scored; Addington was 3 for 5 with 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored; Coleman was 4 for 5 with an RBI and 5 runs scored; Patterson was 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs and 1 run scored; Warren was 1 for 6 with 3 runs scored and 3 stolen bases; Lewis was 1 for 4 with 2 runs scored; Trefger was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored; Robertson was 3 for 7 with an RBI and 3 runs scored; Maureen Chunta was 2 for 5 with a stolen base; and McLean was 1 for 4 with a run scored.
FORT WORTH — The North Central Texas College Lady Lions softball team had a good run at the prestigious Cowtown Tournament in Fort Worth this weekend. The Lady Lions reached the semifinals of the two-day tournament before bowing out.
The tournament featured 35 teams from all over the country including six teams ranked in the latest NJCAA poll.
After starting bracket play with a win over Hill on Friday night, the Lady Lions defeated Howard College and nationally-ranked Butler (Kan.) College Saturday before falling to Northern Oklahoma College in the semifinals Saturday night.
The Lady Lions opened bracket play Friday night by defeating Hill College 10-6.
North Central was down 6-5 in the sixth, but scored five times in the inning.
In the first, McLean doubled and Lewis brought her in with a single. Trailing 4-1 in the third, Lewis, J.J. Addington and Welborn had consecutive singles. Christin Robertson then had an RBI single and Mayfield followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to score Addington to make it 4-3.
It stayed 4-3 until the fifth when Robertson singled and Mayfield hit her second two-run homer of the day to make it 5-4.
Hill came back with two runs in the top of the sixth to go up 6-5, but in the bottom of the inning, Lacy reached on an error, Lewis doubled and Addington smoked a three-run homer. Mayfield then singles, Alyssa Warren walked, Luna had an RBI single and McLean followed with another RBI single.
McLean pitched all seven innings for NCTC and allowed six runs on 10 hits with two strikeouts and one walk.
NCTC beat Howard 4-2 in their first game Saturday.
The Lady Lions scored two runs in the fourth inning to take a 2-0 lead. J.J. Addington singled. Lindsey Trefger pinch ran for Addington and scored on an RBI single by Christin Robertson. Katie Welborn followed with an RBI single to score Robertson.
After Howard tied things up in the top of the fifth, North Central scored twice with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Savannah Lewis had a single, Addington followed with an RBI triple and Robertson followed with an RBI single.
Robertson was 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs, Addington was 2 for 3 with a triple and an RBI, Welborn was 2 for 3 with an RBI, Lewis went 2 for 3, and Lindsey Lacy and Ashlee Coleman both added singles.
On the mound, Jessica Newsome started the game and picked up the win. She went 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and one walk. Lewis pitched 2 2/3 innings to get the save. She did not allow a run and gave up five hits.
In their next game, NCTC had to hang on in the seventh inning for a 6-5 win over No. 14 ranked Butler. North Central had a 6-4 lead going into the seventh, but Butler scored once and had two runners on base when the Lady Lions got the final out.
North Central took control in the first inning by scoring four times. Maureen Chunta started things with an infield single, Alyssa Warren then had a bunt single and Lewis moved them both up a base with a sacrifice bunt. Addington followed with a double to score both Chunta and Warren to make it 2-0. Robertson then had a double that scored Addington and Welborn followed with a single to score Robertson to make it 4-0.
Butler scored once in the top of the fourth, but NCTC answered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth on a 2-run home run by Warren.
Ashliegh McLean started the game on the mound for the Lady Lions. She was relieved by Newsome in the fifth, but re-entered the game in the seventh to get the win. McLean went five innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits with two strikeouts and one walk. Newsome pitched two innings, allowing three runs on six hits with three strikeouts and a walk.
At the plate, Warren was 2 for 2 with a home run and 2 RBIs, Welborn went 2 for 4 with an RBI, Addington had a double and 2 RBI and Robertson had a double with an RBI, and Chunta, Lewis, Coleman and Ashley Trefger each added singles.
Northern Oklahoma ended NCTC’s run with an 11-3 win in the semifinals in a game that ended with the run rule being invoked in the sixth inning.
NCTC took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Welborn had a bases-loaded walk. Northern Oklahoma answered with three runs in the bottom of the first, then scored seven times in the second to go up 10-1.
North Central scored a run in the third as Welborn had an RBI double to score Robertson. In the fifth, Welborn had an RBI single to again score Robertson that made it 10-3. But Northern Oklahoma scored a run with two outs in the sixth to end the game.
Welborn was 2 for 3 with a double and 3 RBIs, Robertson was 3 for 4, McLean went 2 for 2 and Warren added a single.
Amanda Mayfield started the game on the mound for the Lions. She went 1 2/3 innings and allowed 10 runs (five earned) on seven hits with two walks. Candice Mitchell pitched the final four innings and allowed one run on one hit with a walk.
NCTC will be back at home Wednesday to host Northeast Texas Community College beginning at 1 p.m.
The North Central Texas College Lady Lions must have been happy to finally be playing at home because they exploded for 23 runs in two games and swept a doubleheader from Allen County (Kan.) Wednesday at Darwin Field.
The Lady Lions (6-2), who played six games in East Texas last week, used powerful hitting and solid pitching to win both games of their home opener.
NCTC won the first game 10-2 in a game that was called after five innings due to the run rule.
After falling behind 1-0, the Lady Lions put up two runs in the bottom of the first inning as Brittany Luna reached on a fielder’s choice, J.J. Addington singled and Katie Welborn walked to load the bases. Savannah Lewis then drove home Luna and Addington with a single.
NCTC sent 11 batters to the plate in the second inning and scored six runs. Lindsey Trefger had a one-out single and Luna followed with a two-out single. Addington then drove both home with a triple to the gap. Kristin Robertson then reached on an error that allowed Addington to score. Welborn followed with an RBI double. After a walk to Lewis, Whitney Harris drove in Welborn with a single. Ashlee Coleman followed with another RBI single to make it 8-1.
In the fourth inning, the Lady Lions made it 9-1 as Lewis reached on an error and eventually came around to score.
Allen added a run in the top of the fifth, but the Lady Lions ended the game in bottom of the fifth as Maureen Chunta had a pinch-hit single, stole second and scored one batter later on a triple by Addington.
Addington finished the game 4 for 4 with two triples and 3 RBIs, Lewis was 1 for 2 with 2 RBIs, Welborn was 1 for 2 with a double and an RBI, Harris was 1 for 2 with an RBI, Coleman was 1 for 3 with an RBI, Holly Patterson was 1 for 1, McLean and Chunta were both 1 for 2, and Trefger was 1 for 3.
McLean started the game on the mound for the Lady Lions and picked up the win. She went four innings and allowed one run on three hits with four strikeouts. Candice Mitchell pitched one inning and allowed one run on two hits.
The second game also ended in the fifth inning due to the run rule as NCTC dominated 13-0.
The home team scored one run in the first inning as Alyssa Warren reached on an error and scored on an RBI groundout by Addington.
The Lady Lions batted around in the second inning and scored six times. Lewis was hit by a pitch and McLean and Lindsey Lacy both reached on an error. Warren then drew a walk to bring home Lewis. With two outs, Addington drove three runs home with a double. Robertson followed with an inside-the-park home run to make it 7-0.
NCTC added two more runs in the third as Lewis was again hit by a pitch, McLean and Amanda Mayfield both walked, Lacy had an RBI single and Warren followed with a sacrifice fly to center to score McLean.
In the fourth inning, the Lady Lions batted around for the second time and scored four runs. Robertson was hit by a pitch, Patterson drew a walk, Lewis was hit by a pitch for the third time, Mayfield had a single to score Robertson, Lacy had a single to score Patterson, Warren was hit by a pitch to bring home Lewis, and Chunta singled to drive home Mayfield.
Allen only had two hits for the game as NCTC pitchers Jessica Newsome and Mayfield kept them off balance. Newsome pitched four innings to get the win. She allowed two hits with nine strikeouts and two walks. Mayfield pitched one inning and allowed just a walk.
At the plate, Lacy was 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs, Warren had 3 RBIs without getting a hit, Addington was 1 for 3 with a double and 4 RBIs, Robertson was 1 for 2 with 2 RBIs, and Mayfield and Chunta were both 1 for 2 with an RBI.
North Central will take part in the Cowtown Tournament at Gateway Park in Fort Worth Friday and Saturday. They will start play Friday at 10:45 a.m., against Seward (Kan.).
ATHENS — The North Central Texas College Lady Lions softball team wrapped up their two-day East Texas roadtrip with a disappointing split with Trinity Valley Community College Saturday in Athens.
NCTC (4-2) lost the first game 3-2, then came back to win the second 13-1. Trinity Valley (1-3) is a first-year program.
In game one, the Lady Lions had a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the sixth, only to see Trinity Valley score twice.
Candice Mitchell pitched the entire game for NCTC. The sophomore allowed three runs on six hits with two strikeouts and two walks.
At the place, J.J. Addington belted a solo home run in the fourth inning. In the fifth, Ashley Trefger had an RBI single that scored Brittany Luna, who had singled. Luna went 2 for 3, while Ashlee Coleman added a single.
The second game was all NCTC. The Lady Lions scored five times in the second inning and never trailed. The game ended after five innings due to the run-rule.
Amanda Mayfield was stellar on the mound. The sophomore pitched five innings and allowed one unearned run on two hits with a strikeout and three walks.
At the plate, Lindsey Trefger went 2 for 2 with 3 RBIs, Luna was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs, Coleman was 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs, Lindsey Lacy and Christin Robertson were both 2 for 2 with an RBI, Addington was 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI, Savannah Lewis went 2 for 4 with an RBI, Allysa Warren was 1 for 3 with an RBI and Katie Welborn added a single.
NCTC was scheduled to take on Murray State (OK) today, but that doubleheader has been cancelled. The Lady Lions will have their home opener Wednesday at 1 p.m., against Cloud County (KS).
JACKSONVILLE — The North Central Texas College Lady Lions softball team started their two-day East Texas road trip with a doubleheader sweep of Lon Morris College Friday.
The Lady Lions (3-1) played at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens on Saturday.
NCTC got two complete game pitching performances from a pair of freshmen and their offense was sparked by three home runs, two from sophomore Whitney Harris.
In the first game, North Central rallied from a 5-1 deficit to win 7-5. The Lady Lions tied the game in the fifth inning on a Harris home run. Then in the top of the seventh, freshman shortstop Savannah Lewis blasted a two-run bomb that proved to be the game-winner.
Ashleigh McLean pitched all seven innings for NCTC. She allowed 5 runs on 8 hits with 2 strikeouts and 5 walks.
At the plate, Lewis went 2 for 3 with a double, home run and 2 RBIs; Harris was 2 for 4 with a double, home run and 3 RBIs; Christin Robertson was 2 for 4 with an RBI; Brittany Luna was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI; and McLean, Ashlee Coleman, J.J. Addington, Katie Welborn and Ashley Trefger all had singles. The Lady Lions finished with 13 hits.
NCTC won the second game 4-1. The Lady Lions scored three times in the second inning and added another run in the fifth.
Jessica Newsome pitched seven innings and allowed 1 run on 5 hits with 5 strikeouts and 4 walks.
Harris hit another home run and had an RBI, Alyssa Warren had a triple and 2 RBIs, Welborn had a double and an RBI, Addington added a double, and Luna, Robertson, Lewis and Amanda Mayfield each had singles.
MT. PLEASANT — The North Central Texas College Lady Lions softball team started the 2009 season with a doubleheader split at Northeast Texas Community College in Mt. Pleasant Wednesday.
The Lady Lions lost the first game 4-3, but came back to win the second game 8-0.
In the first game, NCTC (1-1) trailed 4-0 before scoring three runs in the sixth inning. Jimmie Jo Addington had a 2-RBI double in the sixth and Christin Robertson added an RBI triple.
Robertson finished with two hits, Katie Welborn had a pinch-hit double, and Ashliegh McLean and Brittany Luna each added singles.
Jessica Newsome started on the mound for NCTC and went three innings, giving up one unearned run on three hits with a strikeout. Amanda Mayfield pitched two innings and gave up three runs on three hits. Candice Mitchell closed out the game, pitching one inning and giving up just one hit.
The Lady Lion bats came alive in the second game. NCTC scored three runs in the first inning. Savannah Lewis started things off by reaching base on a hit-by-pitch. Maureen Chunta then walked and Robertson followed with a 2-RBI single. Welborn followed with an RBI double to score Robertson to make it 3-0.
It stayed that way until the fifth when the Lions exploded for five runs. Robertson singled and stole second. Welborn then drove her home with a single. Luna and Mayfield followed with walks. Lindsey Lacy then drove in both Mitchell (who had pinch run for Welborn) and Luna. Addington followed with a double that scored both Mayfield and Lacy to make it 8-0.
McLean pitched five strong innings, giving up just two hits with two strikeouts. Lewis pitched one inning and only allowed one hit with a strikeout.
Addington, Robertson and Welborn all finished the game with two hits and 2 RBIs. Lacy added a hit and 2 RBIs and Chunta had a single.
(Feb. 2, 2009) The North Central Texas College Lady Lions softball team won a conference championship in 2008, but they have their sights set on an even loftier goal in 2009.
The Lady Lions have enjoyed plenty of success in Van Hedrick’s 10 years as head coach, winning 401 games and two conference titles, but they have never advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament. Maybe 2009 will be the year.
NCTC starts their season Wednesday on the road when they travel to Mt. Pleasant to face Northeast Texas Community College in a doubleheader. The Lady Lions will play eight games on the road before their home opener Feb. 11 against Allen County (Kan.).
Hedrick, who has taken his team to the regional tournament in each of his 10 seasons as head coach, thinks this year’s squad could be one to make a run for nationals.
“I’m excited about the potential of this team,” he said. “We are battling some injuries right now, but if we can get healthy and stay healthy then I think we have as good a shot as anyone.”
Last year’s Lady Lions not only won a conference title, they were 45-16 and an impressive 23-5 in a conference that includes perennial powers Temple, McLennan and Vernon. Five players off that team are not playing at four-year schools.
But back this year is third baseman Whitney Harris (Ada, Okla.), who was an All-Region selection after hitting .338 last season with 13 doubles, 4 home runs and 28 RBIs. She is one of eight sophomores who saw playing time at NCTC last year. The others include outfielders Courtney Jones (Washington, Okla.), Lindsey Trefger (Burleson), and Brittany Luna (Fort Worth); infielders Holly Patterson (Greenville), Ashley Trefger (Burleson) and Ashlee Coleman (The Colony); and pitcher Candice Mitchell (Keller).
Two other sophomores, Amanda Mayfield and Alyssa Warren, transferred to NCTC this year. Mayfield was an All-Region selection at Temple, while Warren was at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, who qualified for nationals.
Hedrick also has nine talented freshmen who will all be counted on this year. They include J.J. Addington (Decatur), Maureen Chunta (Flower Mound), Katie Cowan (Cleburne), Lindsey Lacy (Tom Bean), Savannah Lewis (Dickson, Okla.), Ashliegh McLean (McKinney), Jessica Newsome (Desoto), Christin Robertson (Fort Worth) and Katie Welborn (North Richland Hills).
NCTC depth at every position including pitcher, where six players could see action at some point this spring. If the Lady Lions can stay healthy and get a little luck along the way, they could not only be celebrating another conference title, but they could be packing their bags for their first-ever trip to nationals.
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