Nighthawks sweep Mavericks in four-game weekend series

National Park swept No. 20 North Oklahoma-Tokawa over the weekend in a four-game NJCAA Division II Region II series.

Celebrating homecoming on Saturday, the Nighthawks (19-18, 8-8) won 4-2 and 2-1 before closing out the series Sunday with 10-1 and 10-4 victories.

NPC thrived early in the first game with freshman pitcher Cole Rodriguez striking out

11 over six innings. The Nighthawks trailed

1-0 going into the bottom of the third before sophomore Panama H-Mendez hit a tworun home run to give NPC a lead it did not relinquish.

Freshman Tristen Jamison and H-Mendez led the Nighthawks from the plate as the team tallied seven hits.

Freshman right-hander Kenley Anderson continued the solid pitching performance, giving up one run off five hits and two strikeouts over nine innings. Lakeside grad Jesus Minjarez hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game before freshman Jack Hackney hit a sacrifice fly to set the final.

The Nighthawks took control of the game early in the first game Sunday as Jamison and Rodriguez both hit two-run home runs in the bottom of the first. Rodriguez hit another two-run home run in the bottom of the third, and H-Mendez added one of his own in the fourth.

Minjarez hit a two-run RBI single in the sixth to ice the win. Minjarez and freshman CJ Price each had three hits in the 11-hit game.

The Mavericks took an early 3-0 in through the first three innings before a threerun home run in the bottom of the fourth from freshman Breatt Sweatman knotted the score. Classmate Demias Jimerson, of Malvern, hit an RBI double and Jamison an RBI single for two runs in the fifth to pull away for good. Jamison added home runs in the sixth and eighth in his 4 for 5 performance.

Mountain Pine grad Matthew Herron picked up the win in relief with one run allowed off two hits and two strikeouts in two innings of work. Freshman Jackson Pope earned the nine-out save.

NPC plays at Redlands Community College in a four-game series this weekend. Saturday’s doubleheader starts at 1 p.m., and Sunday’s doubleheader starts at noon.

NPC SOFTBALL SWEEPS NORTH ARKANSAS

National Park took a pair of NJCAA Division II Region II wins over North Arkansas Saturday with an 11-3 win in six innings and a 9-1 win in five.

The Nighthawks (19-5, 8-8) opened up the game with a pair of runs in the first with freshman Brooke Nalley hitting a solo home run in the second to pad the lead. The Lady Pioneers tied the game in the third before a two-RBI double from freshman Madalynn Thompson sparked an eight-run tear for the Nighthawks through the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Freshman Desiree Soto

and Lake Hamilton grad Jessye Rowland both had home runs in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively.

Sophomore pitcher Sarah Todd picked up her 10th win of the season in a complete-game victory. She gave up three runs off nine hits while fanning four over six innings.

Soto led NPC in the second game with a two-run RBI single en route to a 4-0 lead in the opening inning. Leading 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth, sophomore Emily Cecil hit a two-run home run before a solo shot from Williams and RBI single from Thompson set the final. Soto and Williams each had two hits in the nine-hit win.

Nalley picked up her eighth win of the season with one run off three hits and four strikeouts.

NPC is on the road Wednesday to face Coahoma Community College for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.

LADY TROJANS DOWN LADY RAZORBACKS

TEXARKANA — Hot Springs picked up its fifth win of the season Thursday night, downing Texarkana 3-1 on the road.

Kai Griffith stole first to get the team going in the first inning before advancing to second on a fielder’s choice. After advancing to third on an error, Griffith scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Jurnee Hicks.

Hicks picked up her second RBI of the night with a single to plate Darnesa Hudson. Hicks advanced on a fielder’s choice before Mallory Bratton hit an RBI single for the 3-0 lead.

Texarkana scored its only run in the bottom of the seventh.

Griffith picked up a complete-game win with eight strikeouts.