The Trenton Lady Bulldogs turned a 1-0 lead into a ten-run victory over a two-inning surge on Monday night, scoring three runs in the 4th inning and putting the contest at Hamlet Field away with a 7-run 5th, in an 11-1 victory over the rival Penney High of Hamilton Lady Hornets.
Trenton opened the scoring in the top of the 1st inning, with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Salem Croy driving in Ainsley Tolson, who had reached on an infield single. Over the course of the first three innings, the Lady Bulldogs made strong contact, but hit into tough luck, lining into two double plays, and having a misjudged fair ball turn into a twin killing to end the 3rd.
With Ainsley Tolson holding down the fort by shutting out Penney over the first three innings, THS struck in the fourth against Lady Hornet starter Graycen Prothero. Mykah Hurley led off with a looping single to right-center, and moved to second on a ground out by Croy. After lining into a double play in the first inning, junior right fielder Taylor Richman stepped in:
Richman was followed by Sidney Lynch, who ripped a single down the left field line. A throwing error send Richman to third and Lynch to second, with freshman center fielder Maci Moore next to the plate:
The Lady Hornets scored an unearned run off Tolson in the home 4th, as a two-base error put Gillian Gibler on second. She moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a ground ball to third baseman Lexi Whitaker, as the throw to the plate saw Gibler slide under the tag of Croy.
The wheels came off the Hornet wagon in the 5th, as Trenton sent 12 batters to the plate, with four walks, a hit batter, and three singles combining for a 7 run inning. Down 11-1, Penney had a chance to extend the game into the 6th inning, but with two on and two out, a pop fly to Lynch ended the contest.
The game, heard on Hot Country Z 101.7, was the first loss of the season for the Lady Hornets, now 2-1. Trenton improves to 6-1, with a home date with GRC East rival Gallatin coming up Tuesday night at 5:30 (Hot Country Z 101.7). Penney will have Tuesday off, with the Lady Hornets getting ready for their KCI Conference opener on Thursday afternoon at Lawson.
Tolson, coming off a 20-strikeout performance in a Thursday night shutout of Princeton, picked up the victory, giving up only an unearned run with no walks and three hits over five innings of work.
Coming off of Thursday’s shutout win at Princeton, Trenton Coach John Cowling remained pleased with the way the Lady Bulldogs responded to playing good teams in their first true “road” tests of the season:
