SAN ANTONIO – Trinity University Softball fell to No. 25 Piedmont University, 6-3 then 2-1, in its last non-conference doubleheader before Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play begins next weekend.
 
The Tigers (2-14) out-hit the Lions (11-5) in both contests to go along with a strong second-game start in the circle from senior Emery Boettcher (Fredericksburg, Texas / Fredericksburg), going five-and-two-thirds innings with just five hits, two walks and two runs.
 
Sophomore Jessie Lloyd (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. / Trabuco Hills) was one of five Trinity players with a multi-hit day as she went three-for-seven from the plate with a RBI in the first contest. First-year Peyton Bowser (Arvada, Colo. / West) started at third base in game two and added a pinch hit near the end of the first game to go two-for-three with a walk on the afternoon.
 
The Tigers had the bases loaded twice in the seventh inning of game two. The first occurrence led to junior Marina Delaluna (Concord, Calif. / Concord) scoring on a passed ball while the second saw Lloyd ground out up the middle on a fielder's choice.
 
Trinity Softball opens the SCAC schedule March 17 with the first of a three-game set at Southwestern University. A second road SCAC weekend at Schreiner University (March 24-25) stands in front of the Tigers' return to San Antonio with a March 28 doubleheader with Wellesley College (MA).
 
Game One: Piedmont 6, Trinity 3
Trinity answered a Lion tally in the first frame with one of its own as small-ball worked wonders. Delaluna picked up the first RBI of the contest, scoring Lloyd with the bases loaded. Sophomore designated player Lanie Smith (Foxfield, Colo. / Regis Jesuit) collected a well-placed sacrifice in the inning that allowed her to reach to load the bases ahead of the junior shortstop.
 
Piedmont found a second run in the next half before first-game starter Bella Gutierrez (Devine, Texas / Devine) quieted the Lion bats over the next two innings.
 
A one-out double from junior centerfielder Diamond Elizondo (San Antonio, Texas / Stevens) put her in line for Lloyd's RBI two batters later as the sophomore punched a base hit through the middle to score Elizondo and knot things up, 2-2.
 
A three-run fifth from Piedmont unraveled Gutierrez's steady start and gave way to an appearance for junior Brooke Porter (Carmel, Ind. / Heritage Christian). The Tiger newcomer had her line close at four-and-two-thirds innings, allowing just seven baserunners (six hits, one walk). Porter would go on to cede one run in the seventh before the Trinity lineup rotated around.
 
After being relieved in right field through the middle stages of the contest, first-year Carsyn Lee (Flower Mound, Texas / Flower Mound) re-entered the lineup for a first-pitch missile through the left side to lead off the seventh frame. Junior first baseman Jordyn Williams (Clayton, Calif. / Valley Charter) plated what would be Trinity's lone run of the seventh, driving Lee in from second.
 
Bowser took advantage of her late-game pinch-hit opportunity with a drive into center field but first-year Jordan Arce (Thousand Oaks, Calif. / Thousand Oaks)—who had entered in the previous half as a reliever and collected a base-hit earlier in the inning—was thrown out at home on the play. Elizondo worked through an eight-pitch at-bat but grounded out to end the contest, 6-3.
 
Game Two: Piedmont 2, Trinity 1
Boettcher had a shutout rolling through four innings as the starter for Saturday's b-side, allowing just one walk and one hit through her first 12 outs. During that time, Williams had been tagged for an error at first base as her foot was deemed off the bag on what was otherwise a routine groundout to short. A double play two batters later helped to escape the inning unblemished.
 
Elizondo, Arce and Lloyd each picked up a base hit through the first four frames but the Tigers were unable to capitalize on their runners. A sacrifice squeeze logged Piedmont's first run of the contest in the fifth.
 
The second Lion run came in the sixth in the midst of lineup-shuffling as Piedmont's Rylie Erickson collected a pinch-hit RBI. Arce had exited her leftfield starting position earlier in the inning to warm up for a second relief appearance. Boettcher exited with two outs in the sixth, allowing five hits and two runs in her start.
 
Delaluna opened the seventh with a rocket to third, then Bowser followed with a one-out walk. Junior Dawson Dabboussi (Dallas, Texas / Highland Park) continued Trinity's pinch-hitting success as she loaded the bases with a one-out drive through the right side.
 
With the bases loaded, Piedmont returned to its game-one starter—Emma McBrayer—to close but had Delaluna score on a passed ball in her first batter faced. Now with first base opened, sophomore second baseman Alexa Saucedo (Harlingen, Texas / Harlingen) was intentionally walked to return a force play to home as the lineup card flipped back to Lloyd. Saucedo nearly kept the game alive on Lloyd's dribbler up the middle but was unable to beat out the fielder's choice to second.
 
Up Next
SCAC play begins for Trinity Softball March 17 with the first of a three-game weekend at Southwestern, the first half of a six-game conference road trip.
 
The Tigers then play 12 of their next 15 games at home from March 28-April 22, starting with the Tuesday doubleheader against Wellesley.