NORFOLK – The Northeast Community College softball team opened Region XI conference play here this weekend, finishing 2-2. On Saturday, the Hawks fell to Iowa Lakes Community College, 8-5 and 23-9. On Sunday, Northeast swept North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC), 6-5 and 15-5.

In the Hawks’ first game against Iowa Lakes, Jade Long went 2-for-4 with a double and RBI. Kianna Garza went 2-for-3 with two runs and a double. Teanne Edens (3-for-3) finished with a run, double, home run and three RBIs, and Kylie Givens (1-for-1), one run.

In the nightcap against the Lakers, Savannah Robertson went 4-for-4 with a run, two doubles and two RBIs. Long (2-for-4) had two runs, a double and an RBI, while Garza (2-for-3) had one RBI.

On Sunday, Northeast went scoreless against NIACC for the first six innings. In the seventh, Carlyee Arndt put Northeast on the scoreboard with a sole shot that launched well over the fence. Ashley Gilsdorf followed with a single up the middle.

After Robertson was hit by a pitch, Long singled up the middle to score Gilsdorf. Amy Rogers produced a sacrifice fly to score Robertson and put Long on third. Garza watched four balls go by to put runners on first and third to bring Edens to the plate. Edens then hit a moon ball to center field to score the game-winning runs in a walk off.

“What an exciting seventh inning for us!” said Hawks Coach Iris Woodhead. “The girls showed a tremendous will to win and were able to prevail. This works well with what the coaching staff has been preaching all year long: ‘little things turn into big things.’ Carlyee got the ball rolling for us, and we continued to get runners on. And Teanne ended the show with a huge shot to center.”

“I’m happy for the girls. We can’t always rely on a seventh inning comeback. Our hitters were too relaxed the first six innings, thinking we had time, but time ran out quick on us.”

Woodhead said she was glad to see her team take a “right now mentality” in the second game against NIACC. The Hawks scored eight of their 15 runs in the first inning alone.

Robertson went 2-for-3 in game two with three runs, two doubles and three RBIs. Long finished 3-for-4 with a run, double and two RBIs. Rogers (2-for-4) had a run and RBI; Arndt (2-for-3), a run and RBI; Gilsdorf (2-for-3), two runs and four RBIs.

Northeast (13-18) will next host Southwestern Community College on Wednesday in Norfolk. The games will be played at 2 and 4 p.m. at Ta-Ha-Zouka Park.

Box Score Game 1 – Iowa Lakes 8, Northeast 5

Box Score Game 2 – Iowa Lakes 23, Northeast 9

Box Score Game 1 – NIACC 5, Northeast 6

Box Score Game 2- NIACC 5, Northeast 15