SAN ANTONIO – The Trinity University softball team split a non-conference doubleheader against McMurry University on Saturday afternoon, winning the finale 5-4 after scoring three times in the bottom of the seventh.

The Tigers improved to 6-4 this season after going 2-2 this weekend against Hardin-Simmons University and McMurry. The Warhawks took the opening game 11-8 before Trinity rallied in dramatic fashion to finish off the day on a high note.

Down 4-2 with two outs and no runners on base in the bottom of the seventh, the Tigers staged a huge rally to salvage the split. Trinity was down to its last strike when Angela Baltzell (Antioch, Calif. / Freedom) was hit by a pitch on a 1-2 count to reach base and get the comeback started. An error put the tying run aboard, then Hayden Del Toro (Cypress, Texas / Cy Woods) slashed a single through the infield to load the bases. Hannah Boudreaux (Pearland, Texas / Shadow Creek) smashed a two-run single to left-center to tie the game at 4-4, then Jordan Arce (Thousand Oaks, Calif. / Thousand Oaks) delivered an RBI single down the third-base line to bring Del Toro for the game-winning run.

Boudreaux finished with three hits and four RBI in the doubleheader to lead the Tiger offense, while twin sister Sydney Boudreaux (Pearland, Texas / Shadow Creek) went 2-for-4 with two RBI on the day. Cameron Bishop (Austin, Texas / Austin) improved her record to 2-0 from the circle, tossing the final 2.1 scoreless innings without allowing a hit to close out the game. She also gave up just one hit over 2.2 innings of relief in the opening game, recording a total of three strikeouts on the day. Samantha Tagawa (Agoura Hills, Calif. / Agoura) scored a pair runs in the second game.

The Rundown, Game 1:

The day started off with a flurry of runs by both teams and McMurry wound up with a 5-3 lead after just one inning of play. The Warhawks scored five times on three runs and a pair of walks in the top of the inning, chasing starting pitcher Arce from the game. After back-to-back walks to start the bottom of the inning for Trinity, Boudreaux (Hannah) doubled home the first run of the game to get the offense started. Bishop, who finished off the first inning in the circle for the Tigers, also delivered a run-scoring single in the bottom of the first to make it a 5-2 game. Two batters later, Carsyn Lee (Flower Mound, Texas / Flower Mound) wrapped up the scoring with a sacrifice fly to right field.

Bishop got the first hitter she faced out to end the first inning, then retired the Warhawks in order in both the second and third. The Tigers had runners on base in both innings but weren't able to cut into the lead to put more pressure on the visitors.

McMurry finally got on base against Bishop in the third, loading the bases with just one out to force her out of the game. The Warhawks doubled their scoring with another five-run inning to take a 10-3 lead. Trinity's offense answered once again, though, avoiding any thoughts of a run-rule game. Baltzell started the inning with a double to left-center and made it to third after a pair of fly outs. Boudreaux (Hannah) walked to keep the inning alive, then Marina Delaluna (Concord, Calif. / Concord) laced a double to right-center to start the scoring. Boudreaux (Sydney) knocked in two more with a single to right, and Sydney Watson (San Antonio, Texas / San Antonio Christian) made it a 10-7 game with an RBI single of her own.

After adding another run in the top of the fifth, McMurry also pitched out of a jam in the bottom of the inning to maintain an 11-7 lead. Del Toro drew a two-out walk to set up Boudreaux (Hannah) for another hit, and Delaluna loaded the bases after getting hit by a pitch. A deep fly ball to center ended the threat, though, and the Tigers stranded all three runners.

Trinity also left two runners on base in the sixth, but loaded the bases with one out in the seventh to bring the tying run to the plate. Jordyn Williams (Clayton, Calif. / Clayton Valley Charter) smashed a single down the right field line to make it an 11-8 game, but a line drive double play at third ended the game.

The Rundown, Game 2:

The second game began with the Tigers getting their first lead of the day by scoring a run in the bottom of the first inning. Tagawa doubled to lead off the game for Trinity, then Del Toro bunted her over to third with a sac bunt. Boudreaux (Hannah) lifted a fly ball to left for a sac fly RBI and a 1-0 Tiger lead after one inning.

McMurry took advantage of two walks and an error at the start of the second inning, winding up with a 2-1 lead by the time the dust settled. Neither team scored again until the fourth when the Warhawks added another run to the lead after taking advantage of another error. In the bottom of the inning, Trinity finally benefitted from an error, and Arce came around to score on a line drive sac fly to left by Peyton Bowser (Arvada, Colo. / West) to bring it back to a one-run game.

A solo homer in the fifth got the run right back for McMurry and Arce gave way to Bishop in the circle. Bishop shut down the visitors bats from there, setting up the final-inning drama that salvaged a split for Trinity in the afternoon DH.

Coach Speak

"We fought to the end for another win," said Head Coach Bailey Wittenauer. "There's nothing sweeter than scoring three runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh!"

Up Next

The Tigers will face George Fox University (OR) in a neutral game held at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, on Saturday, March 2, at 12:00 p.m. Trinity returns home for a Sunday doubleheader against Lewis & Clark College (OR), beginning at 9:00 a.m.