SAME OLD, SAME OLD

Trenton Into Title Game – Again

In the second inning of the Class 2, District 15 semifinal game between Trenton and Carrollton, the rain, which had steadily fallen since the game’s first pitch, began to let up.
Trenton’s offense, however, did not.
The Bulldogs plated nine runs in the frame on the way to a 15-0 victory over the Trojanettes, one that sends Trenton back to the district championship game for the ninth year in a row.
“I thought our approaches were good, especially in that second inning where we really didn’t let the weather affect us,” Trenton head coach John Cowling said. “It was a good way to bounce back after being shut out for the first time this season. I was happy with what we accomplished tonight.”
After working around what would be Carrollton’s only baserunner – one which reached on an error – in the top of the first inning, Trenton grabbed control of the semifinal game with a four-run first inning. The Bulldogs tacked on another run at the beginning of the second inning to go up 5-0. Lexi Whitaker came to the plate with runners on second and third and ripped a shot through the right side of the infield for a two-run single to break the game wide open.
It was just a few moments later when Ashten Whitaker stepped into the box, her sister now standing on third and Jayden Roeder on second base. Ashten Whitaker mirrored Lexi’s performance, shooting a two-run single of her own to the outfield, pushing Trenton’s advantage to nine runs.
“I don’t really think about having to play to (Lexi’s) level,” Ashten said. “I think she is a good hitter and I just have to do my part on the team. So, I am proud of her when she does well and I hope that she looks up to me when I do well.”
Ainsley Tolson would follow with a two-run hit to join the Whitakers and Maci Moore added an RBI single that ended up plating two runs after Carrollton misplayed the ball in the outfield. That capped the nine-run outburst and gave Trenton a dominating 13-0 lead. In the third, Tolson drove home two more runs to walk the game off by the 15-run rule.
The win was the 200th for Cowling, who began coaching at North Harrison and made a stop at Princeton before coming to Trenton. Cowling ran a record of 73-48 combined at North Harrison and Princeton before coming to Trenton. He served as Trenton’s middle school coach and then high school assistant before taking over as head coach of the program in 2012. Since then he has a 127-24 record with the Bulldogs.
“These girls have spoiled me,” Cowling said. “Every day I come to practice and it makes my day better. You never want to play favorites, but I have a great time with this group, because of the attitude that they have and the effort that they put into it every day. I couldn’t have picked a better group to have gotten that milestone with.”
Rain fell for a majority of the contest, but it seemed to not phase Trenton, which, save for the one error, was perfect in the field. Tolson fired a three-inning no-hitter with six strikeouts.
The rain didn’t appear to hurt Trenton at the plate either. Trenton hammered out double-digit hits in the game with Mykah Hurley going two-for-two with a walk, three runs scored and an RBI. Tolson was two-for-three with a run and four RBIs and Moore went two-for-three with a run and two RBIs. Both Whitakers had a hit and two RBIs each with Ashten scoring twice and Lexi crossing the plate once. McKayla Blackburn was one-for-one with two runs scored.
“I think you just kind of block out the rain when you are up there,” Ashten Whitaker said. “All you are thinking about is getting on, hitting the ball.”
With the win, Trenton moved to 22-2 overall on the season. The Bulldogs will face Hamilton on Saturday at 11 a.m. on Griffin Field in Trenton for the district title. Trenton will be seeking its third-straight district championship, which would be a school record. The Bulldogs are 5-3 in district championship games since making their first appearance in the contest in 2009, starting the current streak of nine-straight title game appearances.
“(Going to the district title game nine years in a row) just shows the level of consistency and also the players and the time that they put into it,” Cowling said. “To be that consistent for that long and to get into the round of 16 every year says something. Our girls work hard all of the time. You can’t ask for anything more than that.”