Softball: Raiders Win First NCCAC Title

The Central Community College softball team won its first Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference (NCCAC) championship in program history on Wednesday. The title was secured following a 10-2 win over McCook Community College in the second game of a doubleheader at Raider Field. CCC sports a 9-3 record in the NCCAC and an overall mark of 28-15.

"I am proud of what this team has accomplished so far this year," said CCC head coach Caitlin Simon. "But our bigger goals are still ahead of us, and we need to keep grinding."

Wednesday's opening game was scoreless until the top of the fifth inning when McCook's Katie Taylor and Graci Nelson scored runs for a 2-0 lead. CCC's Caroline Riffer scored a run in the bottom of the sixth on a catcher interference call and the Raiders trailed 2-1. However, that's as close as the Raiders would get, and the Indians claimed the 2-1 victory. CCC pitcher Addison Kudron went the distance in the circle and took the loss.

CCC opened the second game with five runs, all unearned, over the first two innings to go up 5-0. The Raiders again scored five runs over the fourth and fifth innings, which capped the scoring on a 10-2 victory. Katie Paczosa recorded a double while Emma Lees and Kaylee McNeese each logged two RBIs. CCC hurler Addison Heule won her second game of the season against one loss.

"This group is always competing and picking each other up," said Simon. "In the last couple of outings, we have had to bounce back from losing the first game of a doubleheader. As much as we want to win those first games, I think we learned a lot about ourselves and our competitiveness in these scenarios."

The Raiders will close out the 2023 regular season on Monday with a doubleheader against Mount Marty University JV in Yankton, S.D. Game times are at 5 and 7 p.m.