Alicia Smith used her bat Thursday evening to power Northeast Nodaway's softball team to a rare win over Stewartsville, the first win over the Cards in four years and only the second in six. Northeast got their second road win of the year, downing the Cardinals 11-7. Alicia was 2 for 4 with a double and a triple as the Bluejay freshman saw all her hard work on the game pay off in a big way. She had been playing summer softball and traveling softball for the last year and she has not looked like a freshman at all when stepping to the plate. Claudia Wiederholt, Jenny Seipel, and Jill Spire also hit the ball well for Northeast in the win.
Northeast threatened to end the game on the 10-run rule by the fifth inning, leading the game 10-0. But the Cardinals, a dangerous hitting team with a tall girl who can hit it to the fence at will, fought back and got to within 10-6. The teams traded runs in the sixth and then Stewartsville got the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the 7th and the tying run at the plate. But third baseman Talina Nelson made a game-saving play when she caught a screaming line drive that looked like it would be headed for extra bases and stepped on third for the double play, leaving Stewartsville's big hitter stranded on the on-deck circle.
The win was their second conference win and their 5th win of the year after getting one last year and none the year before that. In Tuesday's action, Northeast lost to South Nodaway 11-7 after wasting a 4-0 lead. Coach Hilary Loe said that the focus of the next week would be stopping momentum-changing plays from happening. They finally were able to tag Longhorn pitcher Allison Hilsabeck with some hits after struggling at the plate in the first two meetings with South Nodaway.
On Saturday, the Bluejays completed their action in the North Andrew Tournament. In the first consolation round, Northeast came from behind to beat North Nodaway 8-6. It was the third win for NEN over the Mustangs this year. They dug themselves into a 5-2 hole after one inning, but fought back with strong pitching from Dallis Coffelt and some timely hitting and baserunning to get the win. The Bluejays failed to get consolation as they went the distance and played well, but lost 9-2 to South Nodaway.
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