The Marshalltown Community College softball team concluded the 2017 regular season with a pair of wins over Ellsworth Community College after scoring a total of 25 runs on 28 hits. MCC took game one 15-7 and finished the sweep with a 10-1 win in game two.
The Tigers (23-17/3-9) have now won 52 games over the past two seasons, making it the best two-year run in program history. The 2013 and 2014 teams combined to win 51 games.
Freshman Taylor Tague (Des Moines, IA/Saydel) and sophomore Lexie Valentine (Des Moines, IA/Saydel) combined for seven hits and nine RBI on the day. Samuari Jones (Louisville, KY/Seneca) added a two-run home run in game two to pace the offense.
MCC used a five-run second inning in game one to put Ellsworth away early. Valentine doubled and scored on an RBI single from Tague for the early offense. A six-run sixth inning was highlighted by a two-run single from Tague to help build a 12-3 lead.
The Tigers tacked on three more in the seventh, including an RBI double from Shaena Robinson (Gardnerville, NV/Douglas). Sophomore Paige Taylor (Coquitlam, British Columbia/Terry Fox) went the distance in the circle to record her 13th win of the season while striking out five batters.
Tague collected a career-high three hits in the opener while driving in three runs. Courtney Fudge (Pleasant Hill, IA/Des Moines East) went 3-3 at the plate with three runs and two RBI. Jones, Robinson, and Jordan Carter (Sigourney, IA/Sigourney) tallied a pair of hits each for MCC.
Jones blasted a two-run home run in the second inning of game two to open the scoring for the Tigers, her second long-ball of the year. Valentine delivered an RBI single in the third inning before adding a three-run home run in the sixth inning to put away the Panthers.
Valentine finished game two 3-4 at the plate with five RBI. Robinson tallied three hits and scored three runs. Carter and Fudge each added two more hits in the regular season finale.
Carter scattered five hits and allowed just one unearned run to pick up her ninth win of the year.
With her five hits on Wednesday, Fudge has now totaled 116 hits for her career, the second-highest total for an MCC softball player since the 2011 season.
Next up for the Tigers is the 2017 Region XI Tournament in Council Bluffs, IA. Postseason play begins at 10:00 AM on Friday morning for MCC at the Iowa Western Community College Reiver Sports Complex.
2017 NJCAA DI SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT BRACKET
Ended the regular season with a pair of wins over @Softball_ECC. Taylor and Lexie V each had a big day at the plate to lead the way! �� pic.twitter.com/AJ3jU7gK6G
— MCC Tiger Softball (@MCCTigers_SB) April 26, 2017
