Bears drop National Tournament Opener
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
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0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | X | 5 | 10 | 2 |
OXFORD, Ala. - The Mott Community College softball team opened play at the 2025 NJCAA Division II National Tournament on Monday at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala.
The No. 20 seed Bears rallied late against No. 13 Illinois Central College, but fell 5-2 to move into the elimination bracket.
ICC scored the opening run of the game in the second inning before the Bears answered with a run on a fielding error to tie the game at 1-1. ICC scored four unearned runs in the sixth to break the game open. Mott fought back in the seventh with an RBI double from Cassie Sylvester, scoring Heaven Helkowski, but ICC held on for the win.
Helkowski finished 2.for-2 with a run, and a walk. Eva Opper added a hit and a stolen base, while Keira McGarvie scored a run. Arika Hines (17-5) took the loss on the mound, allowing five runs, one earned, on 10 hits, while walking three and striking out seven.
The loss drops Mott to 39-10 overall. The Bears move to an elimination game against the loser of Black Hawk and Jones at 5 pm CT on Tuesday in Oxford, Ala.