Trojans edge Lakers, 5-4
- Trojans set school record for wins with 39
- Trojans face top-seed Kirkwood on Saturday
- Wall hits 30th career home run
CEDAR RAPIDS - The NIACC softball team nipped Iowa Lakes 5-4 Friday in the opening round of the NJCAA Region 11-A tournament on the Kirkwood campus.
With the win, the Trojans set a school record for wins in a season as they improved to 39-21. The old school mark for wins in a season was 38 in 1992.
Fourth-seed NIACC now plays top-seed Kirkwood (56-5) at 2 p.m. Saturday in the regional semifinals. The winner advances to Sunday's regional title game.
In Friday's regional tournament game, the Trojans received home runs from Ally Wall, Katie Riesselman and Aubrey Chapman.
Wall was 2 for 3 with three RBIs. Wall now has 30 career home runs, which ranks third on the school's career home run list.
Freshman left-hander Chloe Thurlby gained the win in the circle for the Trojans. She allowed four runs on eight hits with five strikeouts.
Kirkwood won all four games against the Trojans this season. The Eagles won 4-0 and 7-0 on March 28 in Mason City and won 7-2 and 7-6 on April 20 in Cedar Raoids.
Friday's results (at Cedar Rapids)
Game 1 - Kirkwood 8, Ellsworth 3
Game 2 - NIACC 5, Iowa Lakes 4
Saturday's games
Noon (Game 3) - Ellsworth vs. Iowa Lakes (elimination game)
2 p.m. (Game 4) - Kirkwood vs. NIACC
4 p.m. (Game 5) - Winner Game 3 vs, Loser Game 4
Sunday's games
Noon (Game 6) - Championship game
2 p.m. (Game 7) - Championship game, if necessary.
