Crete, NE—The Marshalltown Community College softball team bounced back in game two to split Tuesday's nonconference doubleheader with Doane University JV on the road. The Tigers fell 5-4 in extra innings before holding on for a 3-2 win in game two.
Lexie Valentine (Des Moines, IA/Saydel) powered the Tigers both offensively and defensively in game one, going 3-3 at the plate while finishing a home run shy of a cycle. The sophomore also came up with four putouts and five assists without committing error.
The Tigers used an RBI-double from Jordan Carter (Sigourney, IA/Sigourney) in the second inning to score Josie Carpenter (Wapello, IA/Wapello). With the score tied at one in the sixth, Valentine delivered a run-scoring triple and later crossed the plate for a 3-1 lead. Doane answered with a run in each of the next two innings to force extras.
Dion Shirley (Van Meter, IA/Van Meter) was placed on second base with the international tiebreaker rule and scored on a sacrifice fly to give MCC a one-run lead in the eighth. Doane came through with a two-run home run in the bottom half to walk-off with the win.
Along with Valentine's three hits, sophomore Courtney Fudge (Pleasant Hill, IA/Des Moines East) added two knocks. Paige Taylor (Coquitlam, British Columbia/Terry Fox) struck out nine batters in the circle.
MCC struck early in game two as Annalee Myers (Ames, IA/Ames) and Valentine both scored in the second inning. Fudge scored on an error in the third inning to extend the lead and give Carter, the game two starter, enough support.
Carter scattered eight hits in the complete game and struck out four batters to earn her seventh victory of the season.
The Tigers head to Southeastern Community College for a Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) doubleheader at 2:00 PM Wednesday afternoon.
