COLUMBUS, Ga. – The #1 seed Trinity University softball team advanced to the Southern Athletic Association Championship game with a 14-4 win over #2 seed Rhodes College (TN) on Friday afternoon.
The Tigers (30-9-1) defeated the Lynx (26-15) for the third time in four meetings this season and have won 30 or more games for the third straight season under Head Coach
Bailey Wittenauer. Trinity exploded offensively in the game, pounding out 14 hits to score 14 runs and end the game early on a run rule. The Tigers scored four runs in the first to take the early lead, but Rhodes answered with four runs of their own in the third to tie things up. Trinity responded with eight runs in the bottom of the third, then two more in the fourth to put the game out of reach.
Josephine Koelewyn (Reno, Nev. / Academy of Arts Careers and Technology) earned the win in relief for the Tigers, improving to 16-5 this season after pitching 2.1 scoreless innings to finish the game. She also had a monster day at the plate, belting a grand slam in the first inning before lacing a two-run single later in the game to finish 2-for-4 with six RBI and two runs scored.
Hayden Del Toro (Cypress, Texas / Cy Woods) went 3-for-3 with two runs, while
Hannah Boudreaux (Pearland, Texas / Shadow Creek) and
Mariana Garcia (Goodyear, Ariz. / Canyon View) drove in two runs each. Boudreaux also scored twice and
Ella Whitacre (Roanoke, Texas / Byron Nelson) went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Carsyn Lee (Flower Mound, Texas / Flower Mound) and
Samantha Tagawa (Agoura Hills, Calif. / Agoura) both had two hits, one run, and one RBI.
The Rundown
Megan Kriechbaum (Cedar Hills, Utah / Pleasant Grove) started in the circle for Trinity and got three quick outs to open the game. Boudreaux got the offensive engine going with a leadoff walk, which was followed by a sac bunt from
Angela Baltzell (Antioch, Calif. / Freedom). Lee singled to put runners at the corners and Tagawa drew a walk to load the bases. Koelewyn wasted no time in her at-bat, depositing the first pitch she saw over the fence in left-center for a grand slam and a 4-0 lead. Trinity reloaded the bases with still just one out after Del Toro's single was followed by walks issued to both
Jordan Arce (Thousand Oaks, Calif. / Thousand Oaks) and Garcia. Rhodes escaped with no further damage, though, which eventually allowed them to catch up.
The first hit of the game for the Lynx came in the third inning by way of a leadoff home run, which fueled a four-run inning that tied the game at 4-4. Koelewyn eventually came in and got the final out with just two pitches to keep the game level at the time. The game was not tied for long as Trinity responded with eight runs on seven hits, beginning with a leadoff single from Del Toro. Arce reached on an error after a sac bunt, then stole second to put two runners in scoring position for Garcia. She smashed a two-run single to center to give Trinity the lead for good. Whitacre then reached on a bunt single and Boudreaux one-hopped the fence in left for a two-run double and an 8-4 lead. Baltzell walked to put two runners on after that, but Rhodes got the next two batters out with a chance to limit the damage. Instead, Koelewyn singled to bring both runners in and extend it to a 10-4 lead. Del Toro got her second hit of the inning after that, and another error put runners on the corners. Arce delivered an infield single to score another runner, with Del Toro coming in as well on the third error of the inning by Rhodes, and the Tigers leading 12-4.
Whitacre opened the Trinity half of the fourth inning with a single and a stolen base, but Rhodes got the next two batters out. Lee cashed in on the leadoff hit with a single to center and a 13-4 lead. Tagawa then doubled in pinch-runner
Meagan Brooks (Graham, Texas / Graham) to make it a double-digit advantage. Koelewyn had earlier pitched out of a jam in the fourth, then had to do the same in the fifth to make sure the game ended early. She walked three batters in the fifth inning to load the bases with one out, but got a strikeout and a flyout to end the threat and finish off the impressive win by the Tigers.
Up Next
Trinity will play for the SAA Championship tomorrow against whichever team advances out of this evening's final two games. Berry College (GA) and Southwestern University (TX) will play in an elimination game, with Rhodes playing the winner for the chance to meet up with the Tigers on Sunday. The Championship game is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. (ET).
