AUSTIN, Texas – The Tiger softball team split a Sunday afternoon doubleheader at Concordia University (TX) to open the 2024 season, winning 5-4 in nine innings before falling 12-9 in game two.
Trinity (1-1) saw an early lead dissolve in the first game of the day, but the resilient Tigers were able to pull out the extra-inning win on a ninth-inning triple with two outs by
Samantha Tagawa (Agoura Hills, Calif. / Agoura).
Jordan Arce (Thousand Oaks, Calif. / Thousand Oaks) struck out 10 batters over 8.0 total innings to earn the win from the circle.
In the second game, Trinity plated five runs in the fourth inning to take an 8-3 lead, but Concordia blew the game open with seven runs in the bottom of the inning to take control. The Tigers had plenty of runners in the seventh to try and keep the game going, but managed just one more run in the 12-9 defeat.
Hayden Del Toro (Cypress, Texas / Cy Woods) went 3-for-5 in the opening game, adding one run and one RBI. Tagawa had two hits to go with two RBI as well in her collegiate debut.
Angela Baltzell (Antioch, Calif. / Freedom) matched Del Toro with three hits in the game, going 3-for-4 with one run scored.
Marina Delaluna (Concord, Calif. / Concord) also had a pair of hits in the season opener.
Game two saw Del Toro pick up three more hits to finish 6-for-10 overall for the doubleheader, while also adding four RBI and two runs scored in the Sunday finale.
Hannah Boudreaux (Pearland, Texas / Shadow Creek) had a double among three hits in the second game as well.
Jordyn Williams (Clayton, Calif. / Clayton Valley Charter) went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two runs scored in game two, while Baltzell also had two more hits for a total of five on the day.
The Rundown, Game 1
Trinity missed an early opportunity after loading the bases with one out in the top of the first, but Arce also pitched around two base runners in the bottom of the inning to keep Concordia off the board early. The Tigers didn't miss in the second, though, as the first three batters were walked to load the bases once again.
Sydney Watson (San Antonio, Texas / San Antonio Christian) drove in the first run of the game with a single to left, but the Tigers also had a runner thrown out at home on the play to keep it 1-0. Tagawa had another single later in the inning to give Trinity a 2-0 lead, though the Tigers still stranded three more runners.
Concordia took advantage of a pair of hits to get on the board in the bottom of the fifth, making it a 3-2 lead for the Tigers. Trinity picked up another run in the top of the fifth to make it a 4-2 lead as Del Toro delivered a two-out single to center to score a run. The Tigers had another runner thrown out at home in the inning, but Del Toro made up for it two batters later.
Arce ran into some trouble in the bottom of the inning as Concordia put the first two runners on base, and chased the Tiger starter from the circle. The Tornados picked up two more hits in the inning and tied the game 4-4, but Trinity cut down the go-ahead run at the plate to keep the game level.
Trinity loaded the bases in the seventh for a chance to take the lead, but Concordia escaped. Arce, who came back into the game to pitch again in the sixth, pitched around a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings.
Neither team did much in the eighth, and Trinity squandered a leadoff hit in the ninth. With two outs and no runners on, Del Toro delivered another clutch hit to keep the inning alive. Tagawa then tripled to right-center to drive in the game-winning run. Arce retired Concordia's batters in order in the ninth to finish off the win.
The Rundown, Game 2
After falling behind 1-0 in the second, Trinity's offense responded with a three-run third inning to take control of the second game. Watson reached on a two-out error, Del Toro, Tagawa, and Boudreaux had three straight hits to drive in all three runs in the inning. In what would become a theme of the second game, though, Concordia rallied with two runs on three hits in the bottom half to tie things up 3-3 after three.
Trinity put up a five-run inning in the fourth to reclaim the lead, stringing four hits together with two errors and a walk.
Carsyn Lee (Flower Mound, Texas / Flower Mound) reached on an error to start the inning, then later scored on another miscue by the Tornados. Watson drove a single up the middle for another run, then Del Toro slashed a two-run single that made it 7-3 at the time. Delaluna drove in the final run with two outs to finish the prolific inning. Unfortunately for Trinity, Concordia answered once again – this time with seven runs on five hits to go in front 10-8.
After Concordia added two insurance runs sixth, Trinity needed four runs to keep things going in the seventh. Williams led off with a double to right-center, then moved to third on a one-out single by Baltzell. Two batters later, Del Toro converted again with a two-out single to make it 12-9, but Concordia got the final out to finish off the split.
Coach Speak
"I was really pleased with our fight and staying the course in the first game," said Head Coach
Bailey Wittenauer. "An extra-inning win the first game of the season just shows that we have a lot to look forward to."
Up Next
The Tigers will make their home debut by hosting Howard Payne University (TX) on Tuesday, February 13, at 5:00/7:00 p.m. The games were originally scheduled for this past Friday in Brownwood, Texas.
