Game One Infographic Game Two Infographic
West Burlington, IA—Freshman Tess Cheetham (Oceanside, CA/Oceanside) propelled the Marshalltown Community College Softball team to a come-from-behind game two victory over Southeastern Community College on Sunday, giving the Tigers the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) sweep over the Blackhawks.
MCC took game one 5-1 over the Blackhawks to earn the team's first conference victory of the season. Trailing 5-1 in the game two, Cheetham recorded three hits in the final four innings, including a solo home run and a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh. Freshman Paige Taylor (Coquitlam, British Columbia/Terry Fox) earned wins in both games after going the distance in game one and came in for relief in game two.
The Tigers, who won just three games in 2015 and went winless in league play, recorded their 20th victory of the season with the come-from-behind victory on Sunday.
The Tigers rode the arm of Taylor in game one as the freshman allowed just one unearned run in the complete game victory. Taylor scattered seven hits while walking one batter and struck out four.
MCC gave Taylor early run support after Sarah Ghee (Carlisle, IA/Carlisle) doubled to score Kari Smith (Marshalltown, IA/Marshalltown) in the first inning. Sophomore Taylor Anderson (San Antonio, TX/Churchill) connected on a two-run home run in the third to score Ghee and give MCC a 4-0 lead. Courtney Fudge's (Pleasant Hill, IA/Des Moines East) RBI-double scored Rieley Rodman (Ankeny, IA/Grand View Christian) in the seventh to secure the victory.
Fudge, Ghee, and Anderson paced the MCC offensive attack with two hits each in the opener.
The Blackhawks responded in game two, scoring three runs in the first inning. Taylor took over in the circle with one out in the inning and managed to limit the damage. Smith got the Tigers on the board with an RBI-single to score Taylor in the third.
After a pair of Southeastern runs in bottom half of the third, Cheetham sparked the offense with her second-career home run, a shot to centerfield in the fourth. Lauren Wolfe's (Miles City, MT/Custer County) single later in the frame scored Lexie Valentine (Des Moines, IA/Saydel) to pull the Tigers within two, 5-3.
Cheetham singled in the fifth but was left stranded. Taylor kept the Blackhawks off the scoreboard with scoreless fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to keep MCC within striking distance. The Tigers finally came through in the team's final at bat. Fudge, Smith, and Ghee started the inning with three consecutive singles to load the bases. Anderson delivered an RBI-single and Cheetham provided the critical blow to the Blackhawks with a two-run single. Anderson scored on a passed ball for the team's final run to take the 7-5 lead.
Taylor faced just three batters in the bottom half of the seventh to complete the rally, earning her 11th win of the season. Taylor struck out six batters to give her 134 on the year which ranks first in the ICCAC and 20th in the nation. Taylor has struck almost three times as many batters as she has walked (45) this season. The freshman ranks second in the league with her 11 wins.
Fudge and Cheetham both had three hits in the win while Smith and Wolfe had two apiece.
The Tigers travel to North Iowa Area Community College for a pair of nonconference games at 2:00 PM on Tuesday afternoon.
