NIC 2nd at nationals

PLANT CITY, Fla. – Top-seeded Chipola (Fla.) scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning and beat eighth-seeded North Idaho 6-3 in the NJCAA softball national championship game Saturday.

Kellie Bridges’ RBI single for NIC in the bottom of the seventh tied the game at 3-3 and forced extra innings. In the top of the eighth, Chipola’s Tori Fobb hit a two-run double and Alyssa Shirley added a one-run double.

NIC, which lost its first two games at last year’s nationals, had to win three games earlier in the day to reach the finals.

Kelcey Cavan’s complete-game no-hitter helped the Cardinals blank Northeastern Oklahoma A&M 4-0 in their first game.

NIC advanced to play Eastern Arizona and notched a 2-1 win. Cavan tossed her second complete-game no-hitter of the day.

The Cardinals then played Chipola (57-5) for the first time and won 5-4. Keely Torgison’s walk-off RBI single n the bottom of the eighth won it for NIC.

NIC (47-27) won six straight games after losing its opener.