Rochester, MN—One year removed from a three-win season, the Marshalltown Community College Softball team opened 2016 with a pair of lopsided victories at the Rochester Sports Dome. The Tigers defeated Madison College 14-2 before closing out the night with a 9-1 win over Rochester Technical and Community College.
MCC needed just five innings to win each game, pounding out 20 hits to score 23 total runs on the night. Sophomore's Lauren Wolfe (Miles City, MT/Custer County) and Raini Hilmer (Dysart, IA/Union) each recorded two hits in the opening game. Freshman Taylor Anderson (San Antonio, TX/Churchill) went 3-3 in game two, driving in three runs and scoring three more.
In the circle, both Wolfe and Paige Taylor (Coquitlam, British Columbia/Terry Fox) tossed complete game victories for the Tigers, keeping the opposition limited. In game one, Wolfe allowed just three hits and struck out two batters to earn the win. Taylor allowed just three hits as well in the nightcap, and struck out five batters to start the season on the right foot for the Tigers.
Game one opened up with a three run first inning for the Tigers to set the tone for the night. After allowing a run in the second inning, Wolfe blanked Madison the rest of the night as the Tigers put up six runs in the fourth inning and five more in the fifth to rout the WolfPack.
Anderson opened up game two with a solo home run to put MCC on the board in the first inning. The Tigers went scoreless in the second, but pushed five runs across the plate in the third inning. Wolfe and Kari Smith (Marshalltown, IA/Marshalltown) each led off the inning with a pair of singles, and Anderson followed up with a run-scoring double. The Tigers' big hit of the game came with two outs as Hilmer connected on an inside the park home run, scoring Anderson and Sarah Ghee (Carlisle, IA/Carlisle) to put the game out of reach.
Anderson provided an RBI-single in the fourth to score Wolfe. Ghee capped off the scoring in the fourth inning for the Tigers, scoring Anderson and Courtney Fudge (Pleasant Hill, IA/Des Moines East) on a single.
Both Wolfe and Smith went 2-3 in game two. Hilmer collected three RBI after going 2-3 as well at the dish.
Next up for the Tigers is a trip to Clermont, FL where the team will play 13 games in a seven-day span, beginning on March 11 at the Legends Way Ballfields.
