Box Score TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (May 22, 2019) - The No. 6 Salt Lake Community College softball team entered Wednesday's NJCAA tourney opener with significant wind behind their sails, coming off a long unbeaten streak and a Region 18 championship.

The Bruins hit a bump in the road in the tourney opener, falling 7-5 to Angelina Junior College (TX) in the opening round of the double-elimination NJCAA tournament. Salt Lake will now fall into the one-loss bracket of the tourney, meaning the Bruins will play at least two games a day for the remainder of the tournament.

Both teams started well offensively and SLCC took a 2-1 lead after the first inning thanks to a Mercedes Call RBI double starting the scoring. Unfortunately, Angelina got to SLCC pitcher Tarni Stepto in the second inning and scored four runs on a bases-clearing, three-run double. Trailing 7-2, Stepto helped the Bruins work back into the game late with a three-run home run but SLCC was unable to sustain the rally.

Call finished 2-of-2 at the plate in the game, scoring a pair of runs. Both Mallory Barber and Arienn Ackerman also earned hits in both at-bats. Stepto took the pitching loss, surrendering six earned runs in five innings. Brook Carter held Angelina scoreless in two innings of relief.

The Bruins will play Tyler Junior College at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday at Canyons Softball Complex. The winner of that elimination game will also play at 7:30 p.m. Salt Lake will have to play two games Thursday, three games on Friday and two games Saturday to claim the national title.