Clermont, FL—Runs were plentiful for the Marshalltown Community College softball team on Saturday as the Tigers combined to score 41 runs in a triple header sweep in the Sunshine State. MCC dropped Niagara County Community College 7-1 before defeating Bethel JV 6-4 and setting a school record for runs in a 28-3 win over Northland Community & Technical College.
The 28 runs scored in the finale topped the 2009 team's previous mark of 26 runs. On the day, the Tigers batted .429 as a team after pounding out 36 hits. The offense was paced by freshman Shaena Robinson (Gardnerville, NV/Douglas) who went 9-11 at the plate, including a pair of home runs to go along with eight RBI and eight runs scored. Sophomore Tess Cheetham (Oceanside, CA/Oceanside) added six hits on the day.
Inside the circle, three different hurlers picked up a win for the Tigers. Paige Taylor (Coquitlam, British Columbia/Terry Fox) earned the win in game one and Jordan Carter (Sigourney, IA/Sigourney) tossed five innings for the win in game two while Taylor earned the save. Taylor Tague (Des Moines, IA/Saydel) pitched four innings of relief to earn her first-career win in the nightcap.
The Tigers (4-1) have now won four games in a row after dropping the season opener on Friday.
Game one opened up bright and early for the Tigers with a 8:00 AM start, but Cheetham came ready to play as the sophomore belted a two-run home run in the first inning against Niagara. Robinson delivered a two-run home run of her own in the fifth to help the Tigers pull away. Taylor struck out seven batters in five innings to earn her first win of the season.
Playing as the home team in game two, the Tigers traded a run with Bethel JV in the opening inning after Robinson connected on another home run, her third of the season. MCC tacked on three runs in the third thanks to a two-run double from Tague. Annalee Myers (Ames, IA/Ames) produced a run-scoring double in the fifth and Taylor preserved the lead with a two-inning save, her first of the season.
The offense was lively in the opening two games, but the finale provided the biggest outburst of the day. MCC scored an astounding 17 runs in first inning against Northland. The Tigers connected on nine hits in the inning, including four doubles. All nine batters scored in the inning as MCC went through the lineup twice. After a scoreless second, the Tigers hung 10 runs on the board in the third inning and added one more in the fourth for the victory.
Nine different players had a hit while 14 different Tiger scored a run. Robinson and Cheetham both finished the game with four hits. Dion Shirley (Van Meter, IA/Van Meter), Taylor, Lexie Valentine (Des Moines, IA/Saydel), and Tague all added two hits. Samuari Jones (Louisville, KY/Seneca) drove in four runs and Lexy Gatewood (Eagle Grove, IA/Clarion-Goldfield-Dows) touched home plate three times
Taylor recorded her 200th careeer strikeout in her relief appearance in game two. Through five games, Robinson leads the nation with a 1.438 slugging percentage.
MCC is back in action with a 12:00 PM game against Messiah JV in Clermont on Sunday.
200! Paige Taylor relieves Jordan Carter in the circle and strikes out the third batter she faces for her 200th career K in the 6th! pic.twitter.com/62dz5k1KRV
— MCC Tiger Softball (@MCCTigers_SB) March 11, 2017
