Game One Infographic Game Two Infographic
Marshalltown, IA—The Marshalltown Community College Softball team needed just five innings in each game to sweep the Southeast Community College Storm at home on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers came on late to take game one 10-2 and shut out the Storm 8-0 in the finale.
On a blustery day at the Marshalltown Softball Complex, neither side could put the ball in play in the early goings of game one. The Storm struck first with a run in the top of the fourth inning. Sophomore Sarah Ghee (Carlisle, IA/Carlisle) answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning to even things out.
Freshman Paige Taylor (Coquitlam, British Columbia/Terry Fox) carved up the Storm throughout the day, striking out seven batters through the first three frames. The Tigers backed up Taylor's strong outing with nine runs in the fifth inning. 12 batters came to the plate in the frame with eight different runners crossing the plate, including a pair of runs from freshman Courtney Fudge (Pleasant Hill, IA/Des Moines East). MCC also took advantage of five walks in the inning. Raini Hilmer (Dysart, IA/Union) delivered an RBI-single and Ghee capped off the win with a two-run single to close out the game.
Ghee finished the game with two hits, two runs, and two RBI for MCC. Taylor struck out 11 batters on the day, one off of the freshman's career-high while allowing just four hits. Taylor improved to 8-6 on the year.
MCC carried its momentum into game two, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning after Fudge and Kari Smith (Marshalltown, IA/Marshalltown) both scored on wild pitches. Smith delivered a sacrifice bunt in the second to score Lexie Valentine (Des Moines, IA/Saydel) to extend the lead for starting pitcher Jordan Carter (Sigourney, IA/Sigourney).
Fudge and Smith both scored again in the fourth inning for a 5-0 lead over the Storm. MCC brought six hitters to the plate in the fifth inning and all managed to reach base. Ghee added an RBI-single and Lexie Larson (Des Moines, IA/Hoover) earned an RBI-walk. Rieley Rodman's (Ankeny, IA/Grand View Christian) RBI-fielder's choice scored Smith for the final run of the game.
Smith went 2-2 at the plate with three runs scored while Carter helped her own cause with a pair of seeing-eye singles in the contest. Carter struck out a career-high eight batters in the circle while allowing just four hits and one walk in the shutout, earning her sixth win of the season.
The Tigers hit the road on Monday afternoon, traveling to Southwestern Community College for a pair of games set to begin at 3:00 PM.
