Kirkwood Softball Rallies Past Central to Clinch NJCAA National Tournament Berth

Columbus, NE- The Kirkwood Community College softball team is headed to the 2025 NJCAA Division II National Tournament after battling back from an opening-game loss to win the next two games against Central Community College-Columbus in the Northwest Plains-A District Championship.

The best-of-three series, held May 9–10 in Columbus, Nebraska, tested the Eagles' resilience. After falling 3-2 in Game 1, Kirkwood responded with back-to-back wins, 3-2 and 7-3, to punch their ticket to the national stage.

In the opener, Kirkwood jumped ahead early and tied the game in the sixth, but Central pushed across the go-ahead run in the fourth. Jessa DeMoss and Carley Cavanagh combined to allow just one earned run over six innings, while Kiya Johnson and Mischa Reiners each drove in a run. The Eagles were limited to five hits and committed three costly errors.

Kirkwood regrouped for Game 2 later that day, powered by a strong outing from Johnson in the circle. She went the distance, giving up just two runs on two hits while striking out two. Offensively, Brenna Ross delivered the key blow with a two-RBI double in the first inning, and Rachael Schlotter reached base all four times with two runs scored. Johnson also added three hits of her own at the plate.

With the series tied, Kirkwood left no doubt in Game 3. The offense exploded for 12 hits, led by a four-hit, three-RBI performance from Peyton Johnson and a three-hit, three-RBI showing from Reiners. Schlotter again scored twice, and Sophia Kreutner added a timely RBI. Johnson and DeMoss combined to hold Central to three runs, with DeMoss earning the save.

Kirkwood will now head to Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama, for the NJCAA Division II National Tournament, held May 20–24, 2025