Game One Infographic Game Two Infographic
Mason City, IA—A four-run sixth inning from the Marshalltown Community College Softball team led the Tigers to an afternoon sweep against North Iowa Area Community College on Tuesday, topping the Trojans by scores of 6-3 and 5-4. The Tigers improve to 22-15 overall on the year.
After cruising to a game one victory on the road, the Tigers came from behind for the second time in three games. Trailing 3-1 in the top of the sixth inning, sophomore Lauren Wolfe (Miles City, MT/Custer County) delivered a two-run single to tie the game. Freshman Courtney Fudge (Pleasant Hill, IA/Des Moines East) followed up with a two-run knock of her own to take the lead. Freshman Jordan Carter (Sigourney, IA/Sigourney) retired three straight batters with runners in scoring position to end the game.
The Tigers combined for 21 hits on the afternoon to give the team its fourth straight victory. Freshman Paige Taylor (Coquitlam, British Columbia/Terry Fox) earned her 12th win of the season in game one while Carter went the distance for the Tigers in the nightcap.
MCC opened up the day with a pair of runs in the first inning of game one as Fudge and sophomore Kari Smith (Marshalltown, IA/Marshalltown) each came around to score in the initial frame. The Trojans cut the deficit in half with a run in the third, but a sacrifice fly from Carter scored Tess Cheetham (Oceanside, CA/Oceanside) to double the lead in the fourth.
The Tigers broke the game open with three runs in the fifth as Fudge, Smith, and Sarah Ghee (Carlisle, IA/Carlisle) started the inning with three-straight hits. Ghee's RBI-double scored Fudge and Anderson drove in Smith on a groundout. Lexie Valentine (Des Moines, IA/Saydel) doubled to bring in Ghee for the 6-1 lead.
NIACC threatened with two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but Taylor controlled the Trojan bats to secure the victory.
Smith finished the game with her third three-hit performance of the year. Fudge, Ghee, and Raini Hilmer (Dysart, IA/Union) added two hits while Cheetham, this week's Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) Division I Player of the Week, went 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Taylor struck out seven batters to earn her third-consecutive win.
NIACC struck first with a first inning run in game two but the Tigers evened things up as Rieley Rodman (Ankeny, IA/Grand View Christian) doubled to score Taylor Anderson (San Antonio, TX/Churchill) in the second. The Trojans regained the lead with a run in the third and one more in the fourth to jump ahead 3-1.
After stranding five runners through the first five innings, the MCC offense came through in the sixth inning. With two outs, the Tigers loaded the bases for Wolfe. The sophomore singled to score Anderson and Rodman to tie the game at three. Fudge's single on a 0-2 count drove in Carter and Wolfe for the two-run lead.
NIACC put up a fight in the bottom of the seventh inning, putting the first two batters into scoring position. Carter got the third batter of the inning to strike out looking and induced a fly out for the second out. Valentine snagged a line drive at third base to end the game, completing the rally for the Tigers.
Anderson paced the offense in the game two win, going 3-4 at the dish with two runs scored. Rodman and Carter collected two hits each. Carter improved to 8-5 in the circle after striking out three batters.
The Tigers head to Ellsworth Community College for a nonconference doubleheader on Thursday afternoon before returning home for a pair of ICCAC doubleheaders against Southeastern Community College on Saturday and a twin-bill against Muscatine Community College on Sunday.
