R-T Photo/Christy Tolson
The Trenton Lady Bulldogs took first place in the NCMC Nan Carter Classic on Saturday in Trenton. Members of the team included, from left, front row, Lexie Tolson, Daryian Otto, Ally Ockenfels; middle row, Katerina Black, Tenna Roberts, Jayden Roeder, Ainsley Tolson, Mykah Hurley; back row, Head Coach John Cowling, Shayla Woodside, Whitley Richman, Mason Hooyman, Jaylen Neff, Taylor Richman, Salem Croy and Assistant Coach Daniel Gott.
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With only one field at the complex benefitting from a tarp, the tournament was changed from its original pool play layout to a bracket-style tournament with the eight teams. Trenton still kicked off the event against North Harrison, fresh off an HDC Tournament championship in Bethany the weekend before, as originally scheduled, but the game was a quarterfinal game rather than a pool game.
North Harrison had just one loss on the season entering their match-up with Trenton and the Lady Shamrocks plated the game’s first run in the top of the first inning. Trenton came right back, however, with three runs in the bottom of the frame. The Lady Bulldogs got a single by Ainsley Tolson, an RBI single by Salem Croy, and an RBI double by Daryian Otto. Jayden Roeder, running for Otto, then scored when Ally Ockenfels reached on an error. Trenton got another RBI single from Croy in the third to score Whitley Richman and put the Lady Bulldogs up 4-1. Trenton scored two more in the fifth to go up 7-1.
North Harrison would get three in the top of the seventh but couldn’t get any closer as the Lady Bulldogs took the game 7-4. Richman, Croy and Otto led the offensive charge, each going two-for-three. Jaylen Neff, Ainsley Tolson and Mason Hooyman each added one hit. Otto went the distance in the circle, allowing two hits while striking out six.
With the win, Trenton advanced to the semifinals where they got a re-match with Milan, a team that pushed the Lady Bulldogs to extra frames in the season opener, eventually won by Trenton. This time around, Trenton put it on Milan, scoring a decisive 12-3 victory.
Trenton started early with a lead-off single by Neff. Ainsley Tolson bunted her to second and Richman drove Neff home with an RBI single to give Trenton a 1-0 lead. Trenton then exploded for six runs in the fourth inning highlighted by a two-RBI single by Hooyman and RBI singles by Richman and Croy. Milan cut the lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the fourth but Trenton came right back with five runs in the top of the fifth inning to put the game out of reach. Richman and Croy each finished three-for-five, Neff, Ockenfels and Roeder were each two-for-three and Otto, Hooyman and Tenna Roberts each collected one hit each. Ainsley Tolson threw all six innings, allowing four hits while striking out nine.
R-T Photo/Seth Herrold
Jaylen Neff singles to lead off the lady Bulldogs 12-3 semifinal win over Milan Saturday at the NCMC Nan Carter Classic. Neff would come around and score the game’s first run later in the inning. She was two-for-three in the victory.
The rout of Milan set up a championship game between the Lady Bulldogs and the Richmond Lady Spartans. It turned out to be Trenton’s toughest test of the day, but once again the Lady Bulldogs came away with a win, taking the championship 5-4.
Richmond struck early with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, but as they did in each game, Trenton responded in the very next frame. Otto picked a perfect time for her first career home run, blasting a two-run shot to center field. Trenton tacked on two more runs in the inning when Neff drove home Ockenfels and Hooyman with a two-RBI double to put Trenton up 4-2. Ainsley Tolson’s RBI single scoring Mykah Hurley in the sixth put Trenton up 5-2. Richmond made a rally in the bottom of the seventh, scoring two runs, but Otto was able to work out of a bases-loaded jam, forcing a ground out to Roeder at second base. Neff, Richman and Lexie Tolson each had two hits in the championship. Ainsley Tolson, Croy, Otto, Ockenfels and Hooyman each had one hit. Otto pitched her second complete game of the day, allowing three hits while fanning five Lady Spartans in the win.
“Our girls were able to excel in all areas of the game today,” Lady Bulldogs’ Head Coach John Cowling said. “I felt like we did a great job of putting pressure on the other team’s defenses with our base running and hitting. I think this group needed to win a tournament this season before districts and the girls made a stand when Richmond tried to come back.“
With the win, Trenton improves to 13-1 on the season. The Lady Bulldogs are back on the diamond tonight, playing host to Putnam County on Griffin Field in Trenton. Action begins at 5 p.m. with the varsity contest and a junior varsity match-up between the two schools will follow.