Rosemount, MN—Kortlan Ollinger (Robins, IA/Linn Mar) sparked the Marshalltown Community College softball team in Friday's opener, hitting for the cycle while scoring three runs and driving in three more, but the Tigers fell in extra innings 9-8 to the Ellsworth Community College Panthers. MCC dropped its final game of the weekend to Iowa Central Community College 8-1.
Playing at the Irish Sports Dome for the second consecutive day and fourth time in the last week, the Tigers opened up with a 4-0 lead thanks to a second inning, two-run home run from Ollinger, the first of the season for the sophomore. Kari Smith (Marshalltown, IA/Marshalltown) scored a run in each of the first two innings to give the Tiger offense some life.
The Tigers extended their lead over Ellsworth to 7-2 through five innings of action. Ollinger continued to see the ball well, delivering an RBI-triple in the fourth to score Smith for her third run of the morning.
Ollinger singled and scored in the sixth to push the lead even further. In the bottom of the seventh, the Panthers got to starting pitcher Chezarae Garcia (Ogden, UT/Ogden) and scored six runs to tie the game at eight. Ollinger completed the cycle with a double in the eighth, but the Tigers failed to score as Ellsworth brought home the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth.
Garcia allowed just three hits and struck out a season-best nine batters in the loss, but issued 13 walks.
Cass Vasquez (Los Angeles, CA/Oscar De La Hoya) got the call in the circle in game two against the Tritons and the freshman limited Iowa Central to just one hit in the first two innings as the Tigers stayed in contention. The Tritons eventually broke through, scoring six runs in the third inning to take its second victory of the year over MCC. The Tritons defeated the Tigers 19-0 on Feb. 12 at the Irish Sports Dome.
Leadoff hitter Lauren Wolfe (Miles City, MT/Custer County) went 1-3 at the plate and scored the lone Tiger run.
The Tigers head to Rochester, MN for the Early Bird Tournament on Feb. 27 for a pair of games.
