The Trinity Tigers Softball team look ahead to a busy week at home with three doubleheaders against Tufts University, St. Olaf College, and Bethel University.
The Tigers (10-3-1) battled hard in two games against #6 WashU last weekend, dropping the first game 5-6 and finishing the second in a 3-3 tie. In the first game, Ella Whitacre (Roanoke, Texas / Byron Nelson) picked up the first hit of the game for the Tigers, and used her speed to contribute 2 of their 5 runs. Hannah Boudreaux (Pearland, Texas / Shadow Creek) also picked up a hit late in the game to score 2 RBI and give the Tigers some momentum. In the circle, Josephine Koelewyn (Reno, Nev. / Academy for Arts Careers and Technology), Jordan Arce (Thousand Oaks, Calif. / Thousand Oaks), and Cameron Bishop (Austin, Texas / Austin) combined to allow just 2 earned runs against a very strong WashU lineup. In the second game, freshman Hannah Flores (San Antonio, Texas / Taft) hit her first career homerun, a 2 run shot over the left field wall to score 2 runs and tie up the game. Boudreaux and Whitacre also picked up one hit and one run scored each. In the circle, Megan Kriechbaum (Cedar Hills, Utah / Pleasant Grove) collected 5 strikeouts and held the Bears to zero earned runs.
Preview - Three Home Matchups
The Tigers will host three teams for doubleheaders this week: Tufts University on Tuesday, March 17 at 5 PM and 7 PM, St. Olaf College on Friday, March 20 at 4 PM and 6 PM, and Bethel University on Saturday, March 21 at 12 PM and 2 PM.
On the Tufts Jumbos:
Tufts (6-2) is off to a strong start with ranked wins over #9 Christopher Newport and #12 Randolph Macon. Haley Leimbach leads the Jumbos squad with a .485 average, with Paige Murphy not far behind with a .429 average. Olivia Heaven is the powerhouse in their lineup, already collecting 3 home runs and 13 RBI in just 8 games. In the circle, the Tigers will likely see a combination of Sarah Brody, Avery Kanouse, and Francesca Colangelo.
On the St. Olaf Oles:
The Oles (4-2) look to continue their season in Texas this week, facing UMHB, Southwestern, TLU, and finally Trinity. St. Olaf's lineup is led by Eva Hokanson, who is batting .500 so far. Izzy Barrera is also off to a good start with a .400 average. In the circle, Roxanne Ring is off to a dominant start to her senior season, collecting 18 strikeouts and holding her opponents to just a 1.31 ERA.
On the Bethel Royals:
The Royals (2-6) are off to a tough start with losses against strong opponents. Their lineup is led by Sidney Bartels, who is hitting .520 with 7 RBI. Bethel's offense appears to strikeout often, already having 35 strikeouts as a squad. Pitching wise, the Royals' strongest performer this season is Brianna Tix who has 11 strikeouts and a 3.13 ERA.
Looking Ahead
As their non-conference matchups come to a close, the Trinity Tigers will open up SAA play against Rhodes College at home on March 28 and 29.
