SOFTBALL: NIC defeats #1 ranked and defending national champion Yavapai 02/02/2012
Las Vegas, Nev. - After three months of being indoors, the North Idaho College Lady Cardinals (2-7) got their feet dirty by playing a four-day, nine game series at the Las Vegas Shootout Tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Arizona Western 12 vs. North Idaho College 9
In game one vs. Arizona Western (5-2), the NIC Lady Cardinals got out to an early 3-0 lead off a Lupinacci homerun. However, the Matadors were not to be held scoreless as they came back to tally 12 runs in the final three innings. North Idaho was able to put four more runs on the board, while stringing together a few hits and adding another homerun by sophomore Brianna Bishop, but that would not be enough to regain the lead. Ayres went 1-2 with two walks, Moon and Meyers went 1-2 with a walk, Bri Bishop was 1-3 with a homerun, while Lupinacci went 2-3 with a homerun. Emily Perlich (0-1) took the loss after tossing 6 2/3 innings, recording three strikeouts.
#9 Pima Community College 7 vs. North Idaho College 2
Game two of the Las Vegas Shootout featured the North Idaho Lady Cardinals vs. #9 ranked Pima Community College (5-3). Pima took an early lead scoring three runs in the first two innings. NIC responded in the third by adding one: Schmerer got on base by a Pima error, followed by a Bri Bishop single and a walk by Wise. Schmerer proceeded to score on a passed ball by the catcher. Schmerer tallied the only other run in the game by recording an opposite field solo homerun, the first of her lifetime, in the bottom of the seventh inning. Emily Perlich (0-2) took the loss after pitching 3 innings, recording two strikeouts.
#1 Yavapai College 7 vs. North Idaho College 6
Game three featured North Idaho College vs. the #1 ranked, Defending Champions of Yavapai College (7-3). Yavapai scored six runs early in the first two innings, but the Cardinals would answer back in the third with four runs on four hits. The Cardinals would then tie the game in the sixth with two runs off three hits. The Cardinals would lose in the bottom of the seventh on a running faux-pa by the Yavapai Roughriders as the runner at third stole home on a dropped third strike. The six runs mark the highest number of runs ever scored by an NIC team vs. Yavapai College in a single game. Heather Bishop and Amber Meyers finished the game going 2-4 with a pair of singles; Moon was 1-2 with a walk, while Wise and Bri Bishop ended the game 1-3. Atkinson took the loss (0-1) pitching 5 innings recording three strikeouts.
North Idaho College 6 vs. South Mountain 4
NIC recorded its first win in the 2012 season vs. the NJCAA D2 #3 ranked South Mountain Community College (0-5) Saturday morning, as it set forth the second day of a three-game marathon. South Mountain struck first with two runs in the bottom of the second inning. North Idaho answered back by scoring two in the third off a pair of walks and a Heather Bishop single. South Mountain scored two more in the fourth and fifth innings before NIC caught momentum staging a four run comeback in the fifth and sixth. In the fifth, Shelby Carter hit her first career home run for NIC. The three run shot sailed over the left field fence, but a running error discredited one of the RBI’s. Four hits in the sixth would secure the two run lead and the win for the Lady Cardinals. Heather Bishop was 2-3 with three runs scored, Carter was 3-4 with a homerun, Bri Bishop was 2-3 with a run scored, Fernandez earned a walk and a run scored, and Nina Goodwin came in with a pinch hit single to score the game winning RBI. Jen Rosie (1-0) pitched the final three innings closing for starter Emily Perlich. The pair combined for 4 strikeouts in the game.
Central Arizona 12 vs. North Idaho College 9
Game five featured Central Arizona (6-2) vs. North Idaho College. Despite the loss, NIC went for the long ball four times recording the team’s game-high homeruns in a single outing for the 2012 season. After a rough first three innings the Cardinals found themselves trailing 10-1. In the bottom of the third NIC recorded its first long ball of the game as Carter hit a two-run homer scoring Ayres who walked a batter before her. Jen Rosie, who came in for relief in the top of the third, would not allow Central Arizona a run the rest of the game. The Cardinals would score three runs in the fifth and three in the sixth off a walk and six hits. Meyers hit her first home run of the season in the 5th scoring Carter and Ayres. Wise led of the sixth with a solo shot and was followed by Carter’s second homer of the game scoring Ayers, who totaled three runs scored on the game. Unfortunately, the Cardinals were not able to continue the rally in the 7th coming up short three runs. Eight out of the nine starters recorded a hit in the game while all nine players reached base at least once. Nicole Atkinson (0-2) took the loss with Hockett and Rosie in relief. Rosie pitched 4 and 1/3 innings of scoreless ball as the trio combined for 10 strikeouts in the game.
Phoenix College 16 vs. North Idaho College 2
North Idaho College took on the 7 time NJCAA D2 National Championship Phoenix College Squad in the game 6 nightcap on day two of the Las Vegas Shootout. Phoenix scored 7 runs in the first, 3 in the fourth, and 6 in the fifth to earn the five inning run-rule. NIC’s only runs came in the fifth, and final inning, off a Carter single and two consecutive doubles by Meyers and Moon. Perlich (0-3) took the loss after tossing all five innings earning two strikeouts.
North Idaho College 2 vs. #1 Yavapai 1
North Idaho College played their one and only game on Sunday vs. the #1 ranked Yavapai College (7-3) squad, there second meeting of the tournament. NIC jumped on the board quick in the first inning due to a Wise walk, a Carter single, and an Atkinson single/RBI. NIC would add an insurance run in the bottom of the 2nd on three singles strung together by B. Bishop, H. Bishop and Wise. Yavapai’s only run came in the 4th, two runs short of the win. Perlich (1-3) earned the win tossing 5 innings allowing just one run and Rosie earned the save by closing two scoreless innings. The duo combined for four strikeouts in the game.
#11 Chattanooga State Community College 4 vs. North Idaho College 0
Chattanooga State (10-0) earned the first North Idaho College offensive shut-out of the season as they no-hit the Cardinals in the first of two meetings Monday morning. In seven innings their pitcher allowed just one walk. Jen Rosie (1-1) took the loss giving up two runs in four innings as Atkinson closed, allowing two runs in two innings. The two combined for six strikeouts on the game.
#11 Chattanooga State Community College 17 vs. North Idaho College 9
In game nine of the Las Vegas Shootout, Chattanooga State (10-0) and North Idaho College faced off for their second game of the double-header. Despite the loss to a seasoned Chattanooga State Team, North Idaho College scored more runs on the Chattanooga State pitching staff then any other team this season with 9 runs (next closest team scored 4 runs). Despite being down 12-0 in the bottom of the 5th, the North Idaho College team woke up the bats scoring five runs on a walk and five hits. Unfortunately, the Chattanooga State team answered with five runs in the final two innings as opposed to NIC’s four. The last two innings were highlighted by homeruns from Kasara Wise (2nd), Bri Bishop (2nd), and Amber Meyers (2nd). Perlich (1-4) took the loss as Rosie and Hockett finished the game. The trio combined for six strikeouts.
Coming Up…
The North Idaho College Lady Cardinals will leave for St. George, Utah on the 7th of February for a 12-game series. The schedule is as follows:
Feb 8th vs. Salt Lake Community College 12pm & 2pm
Feb 9th vs. Salt Lake Community College 12pm & 2pm
Feb 10th vs. College of Southern Nevada 1pm & 3pm
Feb 11th vs. College of Southern Nevada 12pm & 2pm
Feb 12th vs. Colorado Northwestern 2pm & 4pm
Feb 13th vs. Colorado Northwestern 10am & 2pm
Live stats can be followed by going to: http://iscorecast.com and entering the access code: 1A53291A0D.
More Information
Head Softball Coach, Don Don Williams
(208) 769-7879 or
dcwilliams@nic.edu 
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