Trinidad State Lady Trojans open five-game series with 12-4 win over MCC
The first-place Trinidad State Junior College softball team opened a five-game set against McCook Friday with a 12-4 win at the Jaycees Sports Complex.
"They just played better than us," said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall.
MCC opened the series as the visiting team on the scoreboard since this was a makeup game from the Region IX round-robin tournament in Lamar that was canceled in early March. Trinidad had been designated as the home team in that game.
MCC opened with three runs in the top of the first inning. Nevaeh Ogden (sophomore, Littleton Colo.) led off with a walk and went to third on a double by sophomore Madisyn Simms (Maple Ridge, British Columbia). A Trojan error brought home Ogden and a walk loaded the bases. MCC scored the second run when the catcher dropped the ball on a strikeout and took a 3-0 lead on a failed pickoff attempt at third base.
Trinidad came back with four runs in the bottom of the first and added three more in the second on a two-out, three-run home run to lead 7-3.
MCC took advantage of another Trinidad error in the fourth for another run. Ogden had a single in the inning and Simms had an RBI- groundout to make it a 7-4 Trinidad lead.
The Trojans scored twice in the fourth and ended the game on the eight-run rule with three runs in the sixth inning.
Sophomore Hailee Ruble (Delta, Colo.) went 5.1 innings in the pitching circle, allowing 11 hits and nine earned runs on three walks and two strikeouts.
The two teams combined for nine errors with five from TSJC and four by MCC.
MCC had four hits in the game with two by Ogden and one each by Simms and freshman Ella Covill-Marter (Queensland, Australia).
"We need to make adjustments at the plate earlier," said Mendenhall. "Their pitcher did a nice job moving the ball around the plate."
Trinidad improves to 20-1 in the Region IX standings and 30-7 overall.
The losses drop MCC to 11-9 in the region and 19-23 overall.
The five-game series at the Jaycees Sports Complex continues with doubleheaders Saturday starting at noon and Sunday starting at 11 a.m.