SAN ANTONIO – The Trinity softball team opened up a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference weekend series with a 4-3 win over defending conference champion University of St. Thomas on Friday night.
The Tigers improved to 16-7 overall this season and remain undefeated in SCAC play with a 4-0 record. The Celts fell to 10-7 overall and suffered their first conference loss to drop to 3-1. The win for Trinity snaps a three-game losing streak in the series, which included a loss in the SCAC Tournament last season.
Trinity took the lead in the bottom of the fifth after both teams had back-to-back three-run innings to break up the shutout. St. Thomas had two runners in scoring position with just one out in the bottom of the seventh, but the Tigers got the second out on a runner trying to steal home on a wild pitch, then induced a game-ending ground ball to short to strand the tying run at third.
Jordan Arce (Thousand Oaks, Calif. / Thousand Oaks) improved to 9-3 this season with a complete-game effort, allowing three runs on seven hits, and recording five strikeouts.
Marina Delaluna (Concord, Calif. / Concord) came on as a pinch-hitter in the fourth inning and went 2-for-2 with a double, scoring one run, and driving in another.
Angela Baltzell (Antioch, Calif. / Freedom) also had two hits to go with a run scored, as well as driving in the eventual game-winning run with two outs in the fifth.
The Rundown
Arce picked up two of her strikeouts in the first inning to help set the tone for what turned out to be a great showdown between the two teams. St. Thomas loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the second, but Arce escaped the jam to keep the game locked up in a scoreless tie.
Trinity's offense was held hitless until the third inning when
Jordyn Williams (Clayton, Calif. / Clayton Valley Charter) flared a single into left field. The Tigers also loaded the bases with two outs in the third inning, combining two walks with the Williams single. This time it was St. Thomas that stranded the runners and the deadlock continued to the fourth.
Baltzell kept the Tiger fourth inning alive with a two-out single to bring up the top of the order for the home team. Trinity got on the board as leadoff hitter
Samantha Tagawa (Agoura Hills, Calif. / Agoura Hills) doubled in a run for a 1-0 lead. Delaluna pinch-hit and worked a full count before smashing a double of her own into the gap in right-center to score another run.
Hannah Boudreaux (Pearland, Texas / Shadow Creek) kept the hit parade going with an RBI single that put Trinity up 3-0 and chased the St. Thomas starter from the game.
Trinity got two of the first three St. Thomas batters out in the fifth, but a walk and a steal set up the Celts for an RBI single to break up the shutout and make it a 3-1 game. Between a walk and stolen bases, St. Thomas put runners the tying run in scoring position after that. A second wild pitch of the inning brought in the first runner, then the second stole home on a miscommunication in the field that tied the game 3-3. The Celts kept up the pressure with an extra-base hit after that, but Arce was able to get out of the inning with the game still tied.
Peyton Bowser (Arvada, Colo. / West) reached on a one-out single in the bottom of the fifth, but was erased on a fielder's choice by
Hayden Del Toro (Cypress, Texas / Cy Woods). Del Toro made up for it by stealing second, though, moving into scoring position for Baltzell. The Tiger shortstop came through with a two-out single up the middle to give her team a 4-3 lead heading into the final two innings.
Arce pitched around a two-out hit by the Celts in the sixth, but Trinity also couldn't take advantage of Delaluna's leadoff single in the bottom of the inning. St. Thomas opened the seventh inning with consecutive singles, followed by a sac bunt to put the tying run at third and the go-ahead run at second. The next batter worked the count to 2-2 and fouled off several pitches. Ball three got past the catcher and it looked like the Celts would tie the game on a wild pitch, but Arce raced home and applied the tag for the second out. The next pitch ended up a ground ball out to short and the Tigers survived for the win.
Up Next
Trinity and St. Thomas will square off for two games tomorrow to determine the series winner. Game one of the doubleheader is scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m.
