NWSCC Patriots finish baseball season at NJCAA Division I South District Tournament

The Northwest Shoals Community College Patriots finished the baseball season by competing in the NJCAA South District Division I Tournament May 9-12.

NWSCC was the No. 5 seed in the tournament, and the Patriots, led by head coach David Langston, went 2-2 in the double-elimination tournament. Northwest Shoals finished the season with a 37-23 record.

Southern Union State 4, Northwest Shoals 3

Tournament action got underway for the Patriots May 9 with a game played at Jacksonville State University versus No. 4 seed Southern Union.

The two teams were tied 3-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning of the nine-inning game when Southern Union scored to take the lead.

Russellville High School graduate Eli Gipson hit a home run for NWSCC and went 3-for-4 at the plate. Cade Prestegard had two hits and a RBI. Taylor Bush added a hit and one RBI while Eli Tidwell, Caleb Davis, Ryan Strachan and Drew McBurnett also had hits.

Hayes Harrison went six innings on the mound and Ethan Muncher pitched two scoreless frames for the Patriots.

Northwest Shoals 15, Nunez (LA) 3

NWSCC returned to action the following day at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama,  and the Patriots got the win over No. 8 seed Nunez Community College from Louisiana.

Eli Tidwell had three home runs and six RBI to lead the Patriots. Strachan also homered and picked up two RBI. Gipson had three hits, including two doubles and a RBI, while Harrison added two hits, including a double and three RBI. Bush and Prestegard helped the Patriots with two hits each, and Wyatt Jensen also hit safely. Additional RBI came from Davis, Prestegard and Jensen.

Michael Pfeiffer got the win by pitching all six innings. He allowed seven hits and struck out six batters.

Northwest Shoals 14, Coastal Alabama South 6

The Patriots kept their offensive attack going on May 11 to defeat No. 6 seed Coastal Alabama South in Oxford.

Wyatt Jensen had three hits and two RBI and Tidwell added another home run and had three RBI. Prestegard had a triple plus a single while driving-in four runs. Davis, Strachan, Bush and Harrison had two hits each and they were joined in the hit column by Gipson and McBurnett. Patriot RBI were added by Strachan, Bush, Gipson and Harrison.

Ryan Strachan pitched 6.1 innings allowing one run and two hits to get the win. Zach Hill also pitched for the Patriots.

Southern Union State 9, Northwest Shoals 1

The final game of the tournament for NWSCC came on May 12 versus Southern Union State at Choccolocco Park.

Gipson had two hits while Davis, Bush and Jensen collected one each. Bush had the lone RBI for the Patriots. Garrett Telaga got the start on the mound for Northwest Shoals and went 3.1 innings. Muncher pitched the final 2.2 innings.