Trotters head to State Tournament

PLAINS – With only one spot remaining in the Western B-C Divisional Softball Tournament, the Plains-Hot Springs Trotters and Thompson Falls Lady Hawks faced off in a winner take all play-in game at Plains High School last Tuesday.

The Lady Hawks gained the initiative early in the elimination game, plating four runs in the game’s opening inning.

Thompson Falls held a 4-1 lead after the Trotters ups in the bottom of the frame but the visiting teams early advantage did not hold up as the Trotters offense exploded for six runs to take a 7-4 lead in the bottom of the second inning.

The Lady Hawks would get a run back in the top of the third but the Trotters countered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame to make things 9-5 heading to the fourth inning.

The Trotters added on seven runs in the last two frames to make the final score 16-5 and earn their spot in the divisional tournament.

Plains-Hot Springs come from behind win was assisted by a whole lot of offense including two home runs.

Trotters senior first baseman Josey Carr was 2-4 during the play-in game with a double, a home run and two RBIs.

Jessica Thompson, who earned the win from the circle for the Trotters, helped herself out from the plate going 2-3 with a home run and an RBI.

Diana Woodward and Krista Josephson also ended the day with extra base hits for the Trotters.

Woodward, hitting from the leadoff spot, was 4-5 at the dish, with a double, a triple and four RBIs.

Josephson was 1-3 at the plate with a double and three RBIs.

Plains-Hot Springs got additional offense from senior shortstop Sami Kinzie and senior catcher Jena Peterson, who both had two RBIs in the play-in game.

The Lady Hawks offense was led by starting pitcher Madi Fitchett, who was 2-4 from the plate with a double.

Later in the week the Trotters competed in the divisional tournament at Ronan , in an attempt to earn a spot at this year’s state tournament in Belgrade.

The opening game of the tournament did not go Plains-Hot Springs way as the Florence Falcons rolled to a 13-2 win against the Trotters

However, the Trotters were not eliminated from competition since the tournament is set up as a double elimination contests, leaving the Plains-Hot Springs team an opportunity to win on the second day of the tournament and finish in the top four and advance to states.

The Trotters took advantage of this opportunity and beat Loyola Sacred Heart 10-6 in an elimination game.

Plains-Hot Springs fell behind early 6-1, but after scoring in nearly every remaining inning of the game the Trotters took a 7-6 lead in the sixth inning.

The Trotters added three runs of insurance in the seventh and final inning to secure their place in the divisional tournament’s third place game, a rematch against their day one opponent, Florence.

Plains-Hot Springs got a lot of support form their seniors in the win over Loyola as Carr tripled and drove in an RBI, Peterson doubled with an RBI and Kinzie also drove in two RBIs.

Sophomore Hailey Coe also drove in a run for the Trotters.

The team’s second tournament game against Florence was much closer than the team’s first meeting of the tourney. The Falcons took an early 3-0 lead in the opening inning, but the Trotters answered back in the game’s second frame seizing a 5-3 lead.

Plains Hot Springs plated another run in the third to make their lead 6-3.

Florence got a run back in the bottom of the fifth and answered a sixth inning run from Plains-Hot Springs with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame.

With only six outs left to work with Florence found themselves behind Plains-Hot Springs 7-5.

The Falcons used a four run inning to take a 9-7 lead over the Trotters in the sixth and were able to withstand a seventh inning rally by Plains-Hot Springs to earn the 9-8 victory.

Kinzie and Peterson led the Trotters offense against the Falcons.

Kinzie was 2-4 at the plate with two doubles and three RBIs, while Peterson was 2-3 on offense with a double and an RBI.

Despite losing by one run Plains-Hot Spring finished the divisional tournament in fourth place and will advance to next week’s state tournament where they will play Conrad-Choteau at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 21 to open the tournament’s competition.

2015 marks the second year the Trotters will make the trip to the B-C State Tournament.

In 2014 the team took third place at the state competition capping a succesful season of competition.