Tiger Softball traveled to North Central Missouri College for a pair of games on Saturday, April 13.
Game 1
There was no shortage of hitting or runs in game one of the matchup.
The Tigers opened up the scoring with a solo shot by Ashley Tennant in the top of the first inning to claim an early 1-0 lead. But the Pirates answered back with two runs of their own in the home half of the frame.
The scoring continued as each team scored in each of the first four innings. Saydee Terrell hit a two-run homer in the second for the Tigers. Nell Skeath scored three with a dinger in the third. And Ashley Tennant was back in the homerun action in the fourth with a three run bomb.
But the Pirates were hitting and scoring also. The home team plated six in the second, one in the third and two in the fourth. After four complete, the home team held an 11-10 lead.
The Tigers finally pulled back ahead in the fifth. After AnnaMarie Armstrong and Kaylee Hanks recorded outs, the Tigers went to work with two down. Terrell reached on an error that should have ended the top of the fifth and the Tigers took advantage. The next batter, Aliyah Scott sent a shot over the left-center wall to put the Tigers ahead 12-11. The Pirates then went to the bullpen for a second time and brought in Ashleigh Creek to face Tennant. Tennant, already with two bombs in the game, welcomed Creek with a solo shot to make the score 13-11 Tigers before Nicolette Dabbs grounded out to end the top of the fifth.
The Pirates couldn't respond in the bottom of the fifth, but held the Tigers scoreless in the top of the sixth.
McKaylee Dawson, the starting pitcher for the Tigers remained in the game and retired the first batter of the home team's sixth. Payton Craig then singled before Taylor McQueen stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter. McQueen took a 1-2 pitch to deep left-center and tied the ballgame up at 13's.
The leadoff batter, Madison Goble, then singled before Dawson struck out Creek. Alex Miller hit a two out single to put runners on the corners for Kendra Holt. Holt then singled up the middle to score Goble and give the Pirates a 14-13 lead before Dawson retired Tatum Dunham.
Down 14-13, the Tigers were shut down as Payton Craig came on in relief and retired the Tigers in order to seal the victory for the Pirates.
Game 2
After the disappointment of game one, the Tigers picked the energy back up right away in the top of the first inning when leadoff batter, Saydee Terrell, hit an 0-1 offering over the center field fence to give the Tigers an early 1-0 lead. Payton Craig, now the starting pitcher, went on to retire the next three batters.
Madison Gable tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first. After reaching base on a single, the leadoff batter took second and third on a passed ball before scoring on a 4-3 putout. Similar to Craig, Saydee Terrell didn't allow another hit or run in the first frame.
The Tigers were retired in order in the second before the Pirates added a single run in the home half of the inning to take a 2-1 lead into the third.
In the top of the third, the Tigers reclaimed the lead briefly when Terrell went deep for the second time in the contest. This time it was a two run blast as she drove in Kaylee Hanks who had singled before her. But the lead was short lived as the Pirates answered with three runs of their own in the third inning to reclaim the lead at 5-3.
DJ Schmidt led off the fourth inning for the Tigers and knotted the game up at 4's with her first career homerun. But the Pirates took no time to respond and put up five runs in the home half of the frame to pull ahead 10-4.
The Tigers would add two runs in the top of the sixth as Nicolette Dabbs and McKaylee Dawson each scored after reaching on errors, but the visiting team wasn't able to complete the comeback as the Pirates claimed game two, 11-6.
The Tigers are back in action on Tuesday, April 16 when they take on the Northeast Community College Hawks.
