Rosemount, MN—The Marshalltown Community College softball team fought to the very end, but fell short in extra innings to North Iowa Area Community College at the Irish Sports Dome, 16-12 on Thursday. The Tigers fell in their opening game of the day to Iowa Central Community College, 13-5.
Raini Hilmer (Dysart, IA/Union) went 3-3 with four runs, four RBI and two home runs in the nightcap to keep the Tigers afloat. Kari Smith (Marshalltown, IA/Marshalltown) and Lauren Wolfe (Miles City, MT/Custer County) each went 2-3 in the opening loss to the Tritons.
Rallies were prevalent for the Tigers on Thursday, highlighted by a 10-inning thriller against the Trojans. After NIACC was spotted a 4-0 lead through two at bats, MCC answered with three runs in the bottom half of the second and four more in the bottom of the third to take a 7-4 lead. The Trojans responded with three runs of their own in the fourth to tie the game, only to see Hilmer smack her second home run of the season, a solo shot to regain the lead.
After trading zeroes in the fifth, NIACC scored two in the sixth to take a 9-8 lead. Smith came around to score in the bottom half of the inning to force another tie. The Trojans took control in the top of the eighth, scoring three runs. Hilmer provided a clutch bat once again, belting a three-run home run to tie the game at 12. NIACC eventually got to the Tigers' starting pitcher, Chezarae Garcia (Ogden, UT/Ogden) and scored four in the top of the 10th to take the win.
In Thursday's opener, the Tigers scored four runs in the top of the fifth, including a three-run home run from Kortlan Ollinger (Robins, IA/Linn Mar), but the Tritons stopped the Tiger rally for the win.
MCC has cancelled its two games at the Irish Sports Dome on Friday.
