Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) battled hard in the opener but ultimately fell short, then ran into an offensive onslaught from Northeast Iowa in Game 2, dropping both ends of the doubleheader on their home field.
Game 1: Northeast Iowa 4, RCTC 3
The opener was a tightly contested matchup throughout, with Northeast Iowa taking advantage of timely hitting while RCTC's miscues proved costly. Northeast Iowa struck early, scoring in each of the first two innings. Ella Clark opened the game with a run in the first, driven in by an RBI single from Adelyn Miller. One inning later, Bronwyn Harding extended the visiting team's lead to 2–0 with a solo homer to left.
RCTC answered in the third when Ivette Mendoza reached and later came home on an RBI single by Ella Bergan, who finished the day a perfect 3-for-3 with a stolen base. However, Northeast Iowa regained full control in the fifth inning. Miller continued her strong performance with another single to left, plating two runs—her third RBI of the game—and stretching the lead to 4–1.
The Yellowjackets refused to go quietly. In the bottom half of the inning, catcher Holly Flom delivered the biggest swing of the RCTC afternoon, doubling to left to drive in two runs. A sharp relay cut her down trying for third, but not before the score tightened to 4–3.
Despite out‑hitting Northeast Iowa 9–7, RCTC couldn't bring home the tying run. Northeast Iowa's bullpen, led by two shutout innings from Kaleigh Tull, shut the door. RCTC pitcher Zoey Clark went the distance, allowing just three earned runs while striking out three, but three Yellowjacket errors loomed large.
Game 2: Northeast Iowa 17, RCTC 0 (5 innings)
The second game told a very different story, as Northeast Iowa exploded for 17 runs on 17 hits, handing RCTC a run‑rule loss. The visiting lineup was relentless from the first pitch, scoring in every inning except the third and piling up multi-run frames in the first, second, fourth, and an eight‑run fifth.
Natalie Nenne set the tone with a standout 3-for-3, four‑run, three‑RBI performance, while Jensen Beaton and Adelyn Miller each added three RBIs of their own. Every Northeast Iowa starter either reached base or drove in a run, and the team collected six doubles in the game.
RCTC struggled to slow the surge. Starter Alyssa Knudson faced 19 batters over three innings, allowing nine runs, seven earned. The bullpen fared no better, as Amelie Dohlman and Zoey Clark combined to allow eight more runs in the final two innings.
Offensively, RCTC managed only a single hit—a base knock from Cason Forbrook. Three defensive errors extended multiple Northeast Iowa innings and added to the pressure on RCTC's pitching staff.
