Of all the teams the Trenton Lady Bulldogs softball team had seen on the season, only Cameron had a legitimate claim to having Trenton’s number. However, in the Class 3, District 15 championship game on Saturday, Trenton got the last laugh. The Lady Bulldogs defeated Cameron 5-2 in Excelsior Springs, avenging two of their three losses on the season and winning the district championship for the third time in the past four years.
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The Lady Bulldogs broke a scoreless tie in the third inning, exploding for four runs, a huge spot considering the previous two meetings were won by Cameron by scores of 3-2 and 4-2. With one out in the third, Maddie Hooyman tripled to right center. Madi Trump would follow with a double to the left field fence giving Trenton a 1-0 lead. Scotlin Hurley would walk and with two outs Makaila Capeder would drive home both runners with a double to the left field fence. After a single by Kate Lowrey scored Capeder, Trenton led 4-0. Trenton would score again in the fifth inning when Trump scored on a fielder’s choice by Avery Whitaker to give the Lady Bulldogs a 5-0 lead.
Trenton struggled with errors in the first two meetings with Cameron, committing 10 in the two games combined. On Saturday, with the championship on the line, however, Trenton was flawless in the field. Cameron had baserunners in every inning, but Trenton stranded 15 of Cameron’s 17 runners in the game. Pitcher Scotlin Hurley took the win on the hill despite giving up season highs with nine hits and four intentional walks. Hurley threw seven innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out seven in the contest. The defense did the rest.
Hurley made a play on a tough pop-up in the fifth, then doubled off a runner at third to end a Lady Dragon rally. A snow-cone catch by Avery Whitaker with two runners on in the seventh helped to keep Cameron from scoring.
“This was a big win for us in our first year in Class 3, especially for this successful senior class,” Lady Bulldogs’ Head Coach John Cowling said. “We limited our mistakes today and Scotlin did a great job of pitching out of trouble every inning, not giving up the big hits Cameron had in the first two games. I’m proud of the way the girls kept their composure for all 7 innings.”
With the win, Trenton moved to 23-3 on the season and has beaten both Chillicothe and Cameron, the only two teams to have beaten the Lady Bulldogs this season.
Trenton now turns its attention to sectional play. The Lady Bulldogs will travel to St. Joseph on Wednesday to face St. Joseph Benton. Action from Heritage Park begins with the first pitch at 5 p.m.
