Council Bluffs, IA—Sophomore Taylor Anderson (San Antonio, TX/Churchill) powered the Marshalltown Community College Softball team to its first-ever victory over Iowa Western Community College as the Tigers took game one of Monday's doubleheader 5-2. The Tigers fell in game two 7-0.
Originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon at the Reiver Sports Complex, Anderson delivered a pair of two-run home runs to nearly the exact same spot each time on Monday, clearing the left centerfield wall. Anderson connected on her first home run of the afternoon in the first inning and added her seventh home run of the season in the fourth inning, scoring sophomore Kari Smith (Marshalltown, IA/Marshalltown) both times.
Freshman Tess Cheetham (Oceanside, CA/Oceanside) doubled in the fifth inning and was lifted for a pinch runner in Rieley Rodman (Ankeny, IA/Grand View Christian). Rodman eventually scored on a passed ball to give the Tigers a 5-2 lead.
While Anderson propelled the offense on the day, freshman Paige Taylor (Coquitlam, British Columbia/Terry Fox) shut down one of the top offenses in the nation. The Reivers threatened multiple times throughout the opening game, but Taylor managed to strand a series of runners in scoring position. After allowing three straight singles to start the seventh inning, Taylor retired the next three batters in order to earn her 14th victory of the season.
Along with Anderson's two hits in the win, Smith was 3-3 at the plate with a walk.
The win over the Reivers is the first in the team's first 14 attempts for the Tigers, dating back to the 2003 season. The win is also the first against the Reivers since becoming a NJCAA Division I team last season, having lost its first six conference contests. Iowa Western entered the game with a 13-3 home record this season.
The Reivers scored early and often in game two to earn a split with the Tigers, scoring all seven runs through the first three innings.
The Tigers return home for a nonconference doubleheader at 3:00 PM Tuesday afternoon against Iowa Lakes Community College. Five sophomores- Anderson, Smith, Sarah Ghee (Carlisle, IA/Carlisle), Raini Hilmer (Dysart, IA/Union), and Lauren Wolfe (Miles City, MT/Custer County) will play their final home game of their MCC careers.
