The Trenton Lady Bulldogs rode the potent combination of strong pitching by Ainsley Tolson and timely power hitting from Sidney Lynch and Lexi Whitaker for a 7-0 triumph over the Lawson Lady Cardinals, in a road test broadcast Monday night on Hot Country Z 101.7.
Lynch, batting in the Trenton 2nd, led off with a towering drive to the left field corner. The Lawson left fielder, tracking the softball, grabbed the ball and smashed into the chain fence at the same time. The collision forced the ball out of the game and over the fence for a solo home run, leaving the Lady Bulldogs up 1-0.
In the 4th, THS added to the advantage with three runs, with three doubles and a home run a part of the offensive surge. Salem Croy doubled to lead off the frame, with courtesy runner Kennedy Norton scoring on a Lynch run-scoring double. Lexi Whitaker followed with a shot over the right-center field fence, extending the lead to 4-0.
Senior Ashten Whitaker pushed Trenton to a 6-0 lead with a two-run single in the top of the 6th inning, with the Lady Bulldogs finishing the night with a 7th inning run, scoring on a Lawson error.
Croy finished 3 for 4, Lynch 3 for 3 with three runs scored and a pair of RBI’s, with Lexi Whitaker 2 for 4 with a pair of RBI’s and two runs scored for the Lady Bulldogs, now 11-1 on the season. Lawson, dropping to a mark of 9-5, failed to get a key run-scoring hit against Ainsley Tolson and McKayla Blackburn, with Tolson firing six scoreless innings, striking out four batters and allowing only three hits. Blackburn pitched the 7th, working around a bloop double and striking out the final batter of the game.
Head Coach John Cowling praised his team’s focus, noting it was a tough task considering “everything the girls have been through in the last few days”. Just three days earlier, on Friday afternoon, Trenton junior outfielder Taylor Richman suffered a broken tibia and fibula during practice, a difficult moment to absorb for a Bulldog team widely considered to be one of the top Class 2 teams in the state. With Cowling admitting his group of girls was noticeably quieter on the Monday night bus trip to Lawson, the Lady Bulldogs were able to put their best foot forward and play inspired softball for their injured teammate. Richman underwent surgery for her broken leg over the weekend in Kansas City.
The Trenton JV picked up a hard-earned 4-3 win at Lawson on Monday night to stay unbeaten on the season. McKayla Blackburn fired three innings and struck out nine batters in getting the win. Jillian Nichols finished the night, going two innings, giving up two runs, three hits, and walking four. Trenton escaped trouble in the fifth inning, escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam with the 4-3 lead. A line drive to Mackenzie McAtee led to a double play. Following a walk, Kennedy Norton cleanly fielded a ground ball and tossed the ball to first to end the game.
The Lady Bulldogs will travel to Unionville on Tuesday night to battle the GRC rival Putnam County Lady Midgets. The 5:30 contest will decide the champion of the Grand River Conference’s Eastern Division. The game can be heard on Hot Country Z 101.7, with pregame at 5:20 from Putnam County High School.
Other softball finals on Monday, September 11, 2017 were:
King City 8, South Harrison 1
North Harrison 5, Penney 3
Mid-Buchanan 6, Gallatin 3
Putnam County 3, Schuyler County 2
Northeast Nodaway 13, Pattonsburg 2
Marceline 14, Paris 1 (6 innings)
Centralia 10, Monroe City 2
Lathrop 8, Maysville 2
Braymer 3, Norborne 2
Clark County 11, Brookfield 1
Macon 13, South Shelby 3
Kirksville 9, Hannibal 8
Knox County 17, Brashear 1
Novinger 14, Green City 4
