Trinity hosted the sixth-ranked team in the country, Washington University-St. Louis (WashU), on March 13 in a doubleheader. The Tigers lost game one 6-5 after nearly pulling off a five-run comeback in the final two innings. The second game ended early so WashU could make their flight out of San Antonio and finished in a 3-3 tie. The series brought Trinity’s record to 10-3-1 on the season.
Game One
The first game of the doubleheader was in WashU’s favor from the very beginning, as the Bears plated two runs in the top of the first inning. They followed that inning up with another two-run frame and built up a six-run lead by the fifth inning. This was in large part due to Trinity committing four errors. Of the six runs the Tigers surrendered, only two of them were earned.
Despite the miscues, the Tigers began to claw back in the final two innings. After adding a run in the sixth inning, Trinity loaded the bases in the seventh inning with nobody out. A hit batter brought in the first run of the inning, and a base hit from senior shortstop Angela Baltzell brought in another run. Then, junior catcher Hannah Boudreaux hit a sacrifice fly to make it a one-run game. However, senior first baseman Carsyn Lee grounded out to record the final out, and the comeback bid fell just short.
“We had good at-bats the entire game, but I think we turned it up because it was all or nothing in the seventh inning,” Baltzell said. “We just had to string some hits together, and we really played team softball in the end.”
Game Two
The second game of the doubleheader started in similar fashion to the first game, with Trinity trailing by multiple runs. By the end of the second inning, WashU took a 3-0 lead and looked for the sweep.
The Tigers’ bats began to wake up in the fourth inning. Lee hit a sacrifice fly to bring in the Tiger’s first run. The scoring didn’t stop there, as first-year outfielder Hannah Flores launched a two-run shot to left field that tied the game. The home run was the first of her Trinity career.
While softball games usually last seven innings, this one was cut short due to WashU’s travel schedule. Ahead of the games, a mandatory ending time was put in place so the team could make their flight back to St. Louis. That time arrived at the end of the sixth inning, and the game ended in a 3-3 tie.
“If we clean up our defense, we have two wins. That was the difference in both of those games,” Baltzell said. “Ending with a tie is obviously something we don’t want, but I think knowing that we’re one step closer gives us a lot of confidence. We know we’re not far off from these top 25 teams.”
The Tigers will embark on a week that features three doubleheaders for six games total. It started with a matchup against No. 18 Tufts University on March 17, and Trinity lost both games by scores of 4-0 and 7-6. They’ll then host St. Olaf College on March 20 and Bethel University on March 21.
This article was updated on 3/18*
