WHITTIER, Calif. – The Trinity University softball team rallied to earn a doubleheader split at Whittier College (CA) on Saturday, overcoming a 14-9 loss in game one with a 14-7 win in the weekend finale.
The Tigers (3-1) salvaged the sweep with two runs in the seventh inning to tie the game and send it to extra innings, and then scored seven runs in the eighth to finish off the Poets (1-1). Trinity had at least 11 hits in each game and had four innings with at least four runs scored offensively across the doubleheader capped by the seven-run eighth to win game two.
Samantha Tagawa (Agoura Hills, Calif. / Agoura) had two hits in each game, going 4-for-9 with three runs scored and two RBI.
Hayden Del Toro (Cypress, Texas / Cy Woods) finished with four runs scored and three RBI and
Angela Baltzell (Antioch, Calif. / Freedom) went 3-for-7 with three runs and three RBI across the DH.
Ella Whitacre (Dallas, Texas / Byron Nelson) had two hits, two runs, and two RBI in the opening game, while
Carsyn Lee (Flower Mound, Texas / Flower Mound) had three hits in game two and went 4-for-7 overall on the day with two runs scored.
Megan Kriechbaum (Cedar Hills, Utah / Pleasant Grove) took the loss in relief in game one, falling to 0-1 this season.
Josephine Koelewyn (Reno, Nev. / Academy of Arts Careers and Technology) pitched in both games, picking up the game two one to improve her season record to 3-0 after the opening weekend of action. She struck out four batters over 4.0 innings in relief in the second game, allowing just one run on three hits to earn the win.
The Rundown, Game 1
Trinity was not able to bring across a run in the opening inning, despite a pair of hits from
Hannah Boudreaux (Pearland, Texas / Shadow Creek) and Lee. Whittier took advantage of the two runners left on by the Tigers and plated two runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-0 lead after one. Trinity responded with a four-run second to take the lead, beginning with Whitacre driving in the tying runs on a single through the right side of the infield. Whitacre and Tagawa then created some havoc on the bases and scored a pair of unearned runs that were surrounded by stolen bases to make it a 4-2 game.
Whittier reclaimed the lead immediately, though, scoring three runs in the bottom of the second to take a 5-4 lead and bring
Jordan Arce (Thousand Oaks, Calif. / Thousand Oaks) in for Koelewyn in the circle. Trinity went three-up, three-down in the top of the third but the Poets weren't done scoring as they piled on four more runs on three hits to make it a 9-4 advantage. The Tigers battled back with four runs of their own in the fourth, highlighted by a two-run, pinch-hit single by
Sydney Boudreaux (Pearland, Texas / Shadow Creek). H. Boudreaux started the scoring with a single to left earlier in the inning and Lee also drove in a run on a fielder's choice.
Neither team scored again until the sixth when Trinity tied the game 9-9 after taking advantage of an error to start the inning. Lee reached on the error and gave way to pinch-runner
Samantha Melendez (Pasco, Wash. / Chiawana). She promptly stole second and after a flyout, Koelewyn drove in the tying run with a single up the middle. Unfortunately for the Tigers, Whittier also benefitted from an error in the bottom of the inning to take the lead 10-9, then had back-to-back extra-base hits to score five runs in the half-inning and take a 14-9 lead. That was more than enough to take the game one win, handing Trinity its first loss in the young season.
The Rundown, Game 2
The second game started much like the first as Whittier scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning to take the early lead. Luckily, Trinity's offense was able to respond immediately and tie things up at 4-4 in the top of the second. Lee singled to start the inning and came around to score on a Del Toro single. Arce then brought in the second run with a sac bunt, and then Baltzell tied the game with a two-run homer to center.
Arce settled in nicely from the circle after that, retiring six straight batters in the second and third to keep the game tied. That gave the Tiger offense the chance to take the lead as Del Toro drew a leadoff walk, stole second, and then scored on a single from Baltzell to make it a 5-4 game. Whittier had a single and a two-run homer to start the bottom of the fifth, taking the lead 6-5 and chasing Arce from the game. After an error allowed the first runner to reach base, Koelewyn retired three straight to keep it a one-run game heading into the final two innings.
Trinity went down in order in the sixth and Whitter padded the lead with a one-out double, though, and the Tigers headed into the seventh needing two runs to tie the game.
Mariana Garcia (Goodyear, Ariz. / Canyon View) drew a pinch-hit walk to lead off the inning, then Tagawa and H. Boudreaux had back-to-back hits to bring it to a 7-6 game. Two batters later,
Hannah Flores (San Antonio, Texas / Taft) tied the game with a sac fly to left field, sending the game into the bottom of the seventh. Koelewyn pitched around a leadoff single, a sacrifice, and a walk to send the game into extra innings.
In the eighth, Del Toro drew a leadoff walk, then stole second and scored on an error to put Trinity in front; however, the Tigers were far from done in the inning. After back-to-back singles from Koelewyn and Baltzell, and an out for Whittier, Tagawa delivered a two-run double to break the game open. After a pitching change and back-to-back walks to lead the bases, Flores delivered her second straight sac fly to keep the scoring going and make it an 11-7 game.
Kristy Mendoza (Phoenix, Ariz. / Desert Vista) followed with an RBI double, then Del Toro drove in two more runs with a single to center and the Tigers wound up with seven runs in the inning to seal the win. Koelewyn finished off a 1-2-3 eighth to make it official and give the Tigers the split.
Up Next
Trinity will make its home debut for the 2026 season next weekend, hosting Whitman University (WA) in a doubleheader that begins at noon on Sunday, February 22.
