Trotters softball tops Troy for first victory
It was the Maddy Blood show Saturday in Troy as the Plains Trotters softball team picked up their first win of the year, 11-0 over the Lady Trojans.
After starting the week with an 11-1 road loss to Mission, Plains was ready for some offense and improved pitching.
They got both in heavy doses against Troy.
The Trotters broke loose for four runs in the top half of the first and were never threatened the rest of the game. Plains put their first run on the board when senior Carlie Wagoner blasted a home run over the left field fence.
Plains scored twice in the first inning on home plate steals, one by Jaelyn Carr, the other by Marrisa Young. They added a third steal of home a few batters later when Blood, who ripped a double in her first at bat, came home for the Trotters fourth run via another home plate theft.
Plains added a pair of runs in the top of second, using a pair of singles by Young, which scored Wagoner and Aubree Butcher to give the Trotters a 6-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Blood was in control of the Troy batters, holding them hit-less through the first three innings on her way to a dominating two-hitter. She struck out nine Lady Trojans and walked just two for the game.
At the plate, Blood had two hits, a double and a triple, in three at bats, driving in a pair of runs along the way to support her strong pitching performance.
Wagoner had three hits in four at bats for Plains, which also got a three-for-three outing from Butcher.
Young had a pair of RBIs for Plains, as the Trotters racked up 14 hits for the game.
The Trotters added four insurance runs in the top of the fourth, then pushed across a single run in the fifth to go up 11-0, invoking the Mercy rule and ending the game at the end of five innings.
The win was a pleasant relief for the Trotters who earlier in the week surrendered 11 runs to Mission.
Plains fell behind 2-0 at the end of the first inning in St. Ignatius. Neither team scored in the second, but the Lady Bulldogs padded their lead with two runs in the bottom of innings three and four to take a 6-0 lead.
The home team erupted for five runs in the bottom of the fifth, putting them ahead 11-1 and ending the game on the Mercy rule.
Plains’ lone run came in the top of the fifth inning when Blood blasted a home run to centerfield. The round-tripper was one of only three hits recorded by the visitors, with Izzy Crabb and Kassidy O’Keefe having a single each. Mission had 12 hits for the game and played error-less ball for the game, while Plains had three fielding miscues.
Next up for the Trotters is a road game to Missoula this Thursday (April 13th) for a contest against Loyola. They return home Saturday, April 15, for a 1 p.m. game versus the Lady Lions from Eureka.