(Atlantic) Atlantic defeated Creston 3-2 and 13-7 in a Hawkeye Ten Conference doubleheader softball game at Atlantic on Monday.
In the first game, Maddie Botos scored the winning run for the Trojans in the bottom of the 7th on an errant throw to first base. The Trojans loaded the bases. Malena Woodward hit a ground ball to Neveah Driskell at the third. Driskell threw out the runner at home, and Peyton Rice attempted to turn a double play, rifled the ball to first, but the throw got away, and Botos scored from third, giving the Trojans the 3-2 win.
Olivia Engler picked up the win in the circle. Engler, now 6-1 on the season, allowed two runs on six hits, struck out ten batters, and walked one. Keely Coen took the loss for the Panthers. The sophomore gave up one earned run on five hits, struck out one, and walked three batters.
Randall launched a solo home run in the top of the first inning to put the Panthers on top 1-0. The Trojans answered with one run in the bottom of the second inning on Lauren Nicholas’RBI single. Morgan Driskell drove home Gracie Hagle in the top of the third inning to put the visitors back on top, 2-1, but the Trojans answered in the bottom of the fourth inning on Nicholas’s second RBI to knot the game at two apiece. Engler struck out two of the four batters she faced in the top of the 7th, and the Trojans scored the winning run in the bottom of the frame.
Lauren Nicholas led the Trojans with two singles and two RBI, and Malena Woodward, Olivia Engler, and Ava Rush each stroked singles for Atlantic.
Gracie Hagle and Morgan Driskell led Creston with two singles, Neveah Randall blasted a solo home run, and Peyton Rice singled for Creston.
In the second game, the Trojans scored 13 runs on 13 hits. Caroline Pellett scored on Alyssa Derby’s RBI single, and Derby raced home on Malena Woodward’s ground ball to give the Trojans a 2-0 lead early. Atlantic added to the lead in the bottom of the second inning. Goergen and Jada Jensen each singled, and Maddie Botos drove both runners home with a 2 RBI base knock to give the Trojans a 4-0 lead.
The Panthers knotted the game at four apiece in the top of the third. Jersey Foote led the inning off with a single, Gracie Hagle blasted a two-run homer, Peyton Rice singled, Neveah Randall reached base on an error, and Morgan Driskell drilled an RBI single scoring Rice, and Randall scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 4-4.
The Trojans answered with three runs in the third. Goergen, Nicholas, and Jada Jensen accounted for three RBI to give the Trojans a 7-4 lead. The Panther tied the game at 7-7 in the top of the fourth inning. Hagle, Rice, and Caitlin Bruce plated the runs for Creston, but the Trojans salted the game away with a run in the bottom of the fourth, three in the fifth, and two more in the sixth.
Alyssa Derby led the Trojans at the plate with two doubles and an RBI, Maddie Botos went 2-4, Kennedy Goergen hit a double and a single, Lauren Nicholas drilled two singles, Jada Jensen hit two singles. Ava Rush, Malena Woodward, and Olivia Engler each stroked singles for Atlantic.
Creston scored seven runs on seven hits. Gracie Hagle led the way with a two-run homer, a double, and a single. Neveah Randall hit a double, and Morgan Driskell, Daile Keeler, and Jersey Foote hit singles for the Panthers.
Atlantic extends their record to 10-1 and travel to Harlan on Tuesday. Creston, now 4-7, hosts Clarinda on Tuesday.
