GEORGETOWN, Texas – Trinity's softball team suffered a pair of narrow 3-2 losses in a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at Southwestern University on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers dropped to 2-17 overall and 0-3 in conference play, while Southwestern improved to 10-12 overall and 3-0 in the SCAC. Today also makes eight games that Trinity has lost by two runs or fewer.
Trinity held 2-0 leads in both games, but Southwestern rallied with the final three runs in each to come away with both victories.
Bella Gutierrez (Devine, Texas / Devine) gave up three runs on six hits in the complete-game loss in the opening game, falling to 1-3 on the season.
Jordan Arce (Thousand Oaks, Calif. / Thousand Oaks) and
Brooke Porter (Carmel, Ind. / Heritage Christian) gave up three runs on six hits in the second game, with Porter taking the loss in relief to fall to 0-3 on the year.
Hayden Del Toro (Cypress, Texas / Cy Woods) picked up a pair of hits and scored a run in the opening game, then she had one of the team's three total hits in the finale.
The Rundown, Game 1
The Tigers started off the doubleheader with a run in the top of the first to take the early lead.
Alexa Saucedo (Harlingen, Texas / Harlingen) drew a leadoff walk and
Jessie Lloyd (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. / Trabuco Hills) doubled her home for a 1-0 lead.
The lead was 2-0 after the top of the second when Trinity scored again on a sacrifice fly from Saucedo. Del Toro was hit by a pitch to start the inning, then moved to third on a sac bunt and a single to set up the sac fly.
Trinity had a couple of runners with one out in the fourth, but failed to add any runs to the lead. Southwestern finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth after a two-out error extended the inning. The Pirates cut it to a 2-1 lead with a pinch-hit double to set up the final inning.
The Tigers left two more runners on base in the seventh after a walk and an error, but once again were unable to score. The Pirates had two the tying run on base with one out, leading to a two-run double to give Southwestern the walk-off win.
The Rundown, Game 2
Trinity once again got on the board with a score in the first inning, though this time both runs were unearned after Southwestern committed two errors in the frame. Saucedo opened the game with a single and stole second, then later scored on an error.
Carsyn Lee (Flower Mound, Texas / Flower Mound) doubled home the second run of the game later in the inning, scoring Lloyd from third to give Trinity a 2-0 lead.
Southwestern loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but Arce got a pop fly on the infield to end the threat and hold on to the two-run lead. The Pirates tied things up with two runs in the third, taking advantage of a walk and picking up two hits in the inning.
Del Toro led off the fourth with a single for the Tigers, then stole second, and moved to third on a sac bunt; however, she was stranded there and the game remained 2-2.
Southwestern took the lead in the bottom of the fifth on an error by the Tiger defense, taking a 3-2 lead that would hold up the rest of the game. Trinity was retired in order in both the sixth and seventh innings and was unable to extend the game.
Up Next
The Tigers will continue on with more SCAC play on the road, heading to Schreiner University for a three-game series that begins with a doubleheader on Friday, March 24, at 5:00 p.m.
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