The host Trenton Lady Bulldogs won four games (three in pool play, one in the championship round) by a combined 39-3 to win the Nan Carter Softball Tournament on Saturday at Trenton’s Ebbe Sports Complex.
Trenton opened the annual event, a fundraiser for the North Central Missouri College softball program, with an 11-1 win over South Harrison. Senior third baseman Mykah Hurley had a two for two game with three runs scored, while junior Lexi Whitaker opened a spectacular hitting day with a 2 for 4 games with a pair of RBI’s. Junior right-hander McKayla Blackburn pitched five innings for the win, giving up one run while striking out six.
In their second game of pool play, Trenton, in action broadcast on Hot Country Z 101.7, shutout Brookfield 9-0. Ainsley Tolson pitched five innings and Blackburn two innings for THS, combining for a three-hit shutout. Several Lady Bulldogs had multiple hit games as Trenton moved to 14-1 with the win.
Needing a victory to clinch a spot in Saturday night’s championship game, Trenton rolled to an 8-1 win over Platte Valley. Whitaker hit her first of two home runs in the tournament with a late-game long-ball, with Tom Johnson on the play-by-play on KTTN FM 92.3:
Blackburn went all seven innings for Trenton to earn the win, scattering 10 Lady Eagle hits. Platte Valley scored their only run on the final play of the game, on a base-hit to right field. A potential second run was tagged out at home plate by senior catcher Salem Croy to end the contest.
Trenton’s opponent in Saturday night’s championship had an equally impressive run through pool play, as the Marceline Lady Tigers took a 10-1 record into the showdown with the Lady Bulldogs, after a 12-2 win over North Harrison, a 14-4 triumph over Gallatin, and a 17-2 blowout of Milan.
With the Tiger/Bulldog matchup looking like a duel between Marceline’s Maycee Edgar and Trenton’s Ainsley Tolson, sophomore Maci Moore, in the top of the first inning, looked to give the Lady Bulldogs the lead, with one out and Hurley on first:
Marceline got to Tolson in the bottom of the third inning, as a base hit by center fielder Abbey Kussman scored Shelby Scott. The trail runner, Maisie Billups, scored after a throw to second base was late in an attempt to retire the sliding Kussman.
Tied at 2 heading into the fourth inning, Trenton’s offense exploded on Edgar, with the Lady Bulldogs sending 10 girls to the plate, scoring six runs. A fielding error to open the inning had Taylor Richman reach first base. Sidney Lynch and Lexi Whitaker followed with singles, with a Blackburn walk and a hit by pitch to Chandler Lynch continuing Trenton’s surge. Singles by Hurley and Croy pushed the lead to 8-2, before Richman grounded out to end the frame.
Given a six-run advantage by her teammates, Tolson shutout the Lady Tigers for the final four innings of play, finishing the night giving up only five hits while striking out 12 batters, dropping Marceline’s record to 10-2.
Trenton added insurance runs in both the fifth and sixth innings, extending the lead to 10-2, before Lexi Whitaker, looking for a 4-for-4 game and a second homer in as many games, led off the seventh:
The Gallatin Lady Bulldogs had a fine day at the Nan Carter Classic, finishing in third place, beating Milan in the morning session, 10-0, then falling to Marceline 14-4. A 4-2 win over North Harrison followed, clinching second place in Pool B for the Lady Bulldogs. Gallatin downed Brookfield in the third place game, 10-3. South Harrison beat Milan for 7th place, 11-0, while Platte Valley soundly defeated North Harrison in the consolation final, 10-2.
Complete “pool” scores from Saturday’s Nan Carter NCMC Classic were:
Trenton 11, South Harrison 1; Gallatin 10, Milan 0; Brookfield 11, Platte Valley 1; North Harrison 12, Marceline 2; Platte Valley 5, South Harrison 2; Marceline 14, Gallatin 4; Trenton 9, Brookfield 0; North Harrison 10, Milan 5; Brookfield 14, South Harrison 3; Gallatin 4, North Harrison 2; Trenton 8, Platte Valley 1; Marceline 17, Milan 2
Photo credit – Trenton High School / Facebook-Twitter / Trenton, MO
