Marshalltown, IA—The Marshalltown Community College softball team extended its winning streak to eight games on Friday afternoon with two wins over Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) opponent North Iowa Area Community College. Lexie Biehl (Maquoketa, IA/Maquoketa) went 5-6 on the day with a pair of home runs.
Despite four errors in game one, the Tigers held off the Trojans for a 6-4 victory as Kyndal Milder (Columbus Junction, IA/Columbus) went 2-3 with a run and an RBI to pace the Tiger offense. The bats were slow to get going in game two with zeroes in the first two frames, but the Tigers exploded for seven runs in the third and eight more in the fourth to end the game with the run rule, the 16th time this season the Tigers have ended the game early with at least an eight-run advantage.
After Des Moines Area Community College picked up two wins over Iowa Central Community College on Friday, the Tigers remain two games behind the Bears for third-place in the ICCAC. MCC sits in fourth place, four games ahead of fifth-place Ellsworth Community College.
Biehl opened up the day with a solo home run in the first inning to five the Tigers a 1-0 edge early on. The Bears tied things up with a run in the third, and took the lead with two in the top of the fourth. The lead was short-lived as the Tigers scored five runs in the bottom half of the fourth, plating 12 runners in the inning. All five runs were scored from the bottom five batters in the lineup. Milder singled home Emmeline Huffaker (Baxter, IA/Baxter) on an RBI-single.
Sarah Wilson (Ottumwa, IA/Ottumwa) picked up her 13th win of the season, striking out 11 batters. The sophomore left two runners in scoring position in the seventh to earn the victory.
The Tigers put two runners on base to start game two, but failed to score in either of the first two innings. After NIACC scored two in the top of the third, the Tiger bats woke up. Milder and Brooke Dunkin (Bussey, IA/Twin Cedars) led off the third inning with back-to-back bunt singles. Biehl delivered a run-scoring double to get the Tigers on the board and Wilson connected on a three-run home run to start the rout.
The first five batters reached base in the fourth for the Tigers, including another double from Biehl. Dunkin added an RBI-double as well to put the Tigers up 12-2. Biehl capped off the scoring with a three-run home run, her eighth long ball of the year, tying her with Wilson for the team lead.
Mackenzie Gott (Oskaloosa, IA/Oskaloosa) picked up the win in the circle, her fourth of the year. Brianna James (Lynnville, IA/Lynnville-Sully) tossed a scoreless inning of relief.
The Tigers look to continue their winning ways with a conference doubleheader tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 PM at home against Iowa Lakes Community College. The Tigers took a pair of wins against the Lakers on April 12.
Eight sophomores will be honored prior to the start of tomorrow's game- Wilson, Gott, Huffaker, Dunkin, James, Milder, Whitney Baker (Nevada, IA/Nevada), and Holli Baker (Grimes, IA/Dallas Center-Grimes) as a part of Sophomore Day at MCC.
