Northwest-Shoals softball game recap for the week ending April 1

MUSCLE SHOALS & PHIL CAMPBELL – The Northwest-Shoals Community College Patriots softball program continues its learning process as Coach Angel Brown’s team winds its way through its first season since 2011.

On March 23rd, the Patriots hosted Snead State Community College and were swept 10-0 and 4-1.

In game one, Snead’s Lydia West hurled five innings of shutout softball, allowing five hits, walking none and logging two strikeouts.

NW-SCC starter Taylor Cameron pitched four innings, allowing six hits and five runs, with one strikeout. Chloe Handley threw the final two innings out of the bullpen.

Five Patriots managed hits against West, including Katie Dawson, Ava Brumley, Kailey Armstrong, Madalyn Scott and Handley.

Game two was a much closer affair, with Snead State holding on to a 4-1 edge to earn the sweep.

Snead State scored once in the second inning and added three more in the third to build a 4-0 lead.

Mycala Mitchell started for the Patriots and kept her team in the game, going seven innings, allowing eight hits and four runs with four strikeouts and only one walk.

In the bottom of the sixth, Emily Ahonen drew a one-out walk, followed by an Armstrong single for NW-SCC. Brooklyn Owens singled to center driving home Ahonen. A ground out by Dawson ended the rally for the Patriots.

Owens and Handley both posted multi-hit efforts for NW-SCC to pace the Patriots’ offense.

On Saturday, the Patriots traveled to Boaz for another doubleheader. The home standing Parsons won both games, 13-4 and 9-1.

After the Patriots took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, Snead State plated three in the bottom of the inning.

Alyssa Brown’s single in the first drove in Handley to give NW-SCC a 1-0 lead.

Although the Patriots played from behind, the game remained close until the bottom of the sixth inning, when the Parsons broke through for six runs.

The Patriots had two home runs in the game, a Scott blast in the fourth and a Brown home run in the fifth inning. Owens, Armstrong and Brown each had two hits to lead the Patriots.

Game two saw Snead State score four in both the second and third innings to once again take an early lead in route to a 9-1 win.

Brown’s fourth-inning home run gave her two for the day and accounted for the lone NW-SCC run.

On Thursday, March 30th, the Patriots hosted conference foe Wallace State Community College for a pair of games at Muscle Shoals’ Gattman Park.

Wallace State scored in each of the game’s five innings on the way to an 11-2 win in game one.

Handley went 2-3 for NW-SCC. Scott went 1-1 and had an RBI single in the first inning.

Game two began as a pitcher’s duel, as Wallace State led 4-2 after five innings. Wallace took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second, but the Patriots tied the game in the bottom of the fourth.

Jade Roberson’s bases-loaded walk brought home the first Patriot run, and Alyssa Brown’s single scored Ahonen to tie the game.

Wallace regained the lead in the top of the fifth with two runs, as the game moved to the sixth inning with the Patriots down 4-2. Wallace State broke it open with five in the sixth, in route to an 11-5 win.

Mitchell went the distance on the mound, yielding 11 runs (nine earned) on 16 hits with four strikeouts.

Northwest-Shoals rallied for three seventh-inning runs. Armstrong scored on a Stefanie Price sacrifice fly to make it 11-3. Roberson followed with a two-run double that ended the scoring.

The Patriots traveled to Hanceville for another doubleheader with Wallace State on Saturday, April 1st. Wallace State swept both games 8-0 and 8-2. In the first game, Wallace State pitcher Alivia Wilken threw a five-inning no hitter, striking out eight Patriot batters.

In game two, Mitchell threw six innings, allowing nine hits and eight runs with four strikeouts.

NW-SCC batters had 10 hits, led by Price (2-4), Handley (2-4) and Scott (2-4).

The Patriots, 10-26, travel to Alexander City on Thursday, April 13th, for a doubleheader with Central Alabama Community College. First pitch of game one is 2 p.m.

On Saturday, April 15th, the Patriots will host Central Alabama in Muscle Shoals, with first pitch of game one at 1 p.m.

For more information on Patriots softball visit nwscc.edu/athletics/patriots-softball/.