Lady Trojans miss divisional bye in losses to Eureka

The Lady Trojans battled for a bye in divisional play, but fell to Eureka twice in a double header played at Roosevelt Park Friday afternoon.

Troy fell behind early in the first game against the Lady Lions, ending the first two innings with no runs. Eureka took the lead in the first inning with a homerun off of a line drive to left field by Avory Escobar, bringing in runner Katie Schmidt to make the score 2-0, Eureka.

Despite repeatedly putting runners on the bases, the Lady Trojans were unable to bring most of them home.

Though they were unable to close the gap, though, Troy refused to give up the 10 point difference that would end the game early.

In top of the fifth, with runners on first and second, Troy sophomore pitcher Mazzy Hermes snatched up a ground ball from Eureka’s Avory Escober and threw it to junior Tristyn Winebark for the out.

Winebark snapped to junior catcher Kaylee Tunison for the final out of the inning on Eureka’s Schmidt, completing the double play.

Yet, Troy took a loss in the fifth as well, when junior Kenzie Wallace — who had ended the third inning with a catch on a fly to left field — tripped over first base after leaping to try to beat the catch. Wallace fell hard on her shoulder, taking her out of the game.

Wallace left before the game was over to seek medical attention, but and Head Coach Keith Haggerty did not yet know what the medical prognosis would be, but said it was possible she would be unable to play in the postseason.

In the seventh inning, Eureka turned up the pressure, filling the bases and scoring five runs.

Despite a triple from Tunison that brought in freshman Chloe Yeadon, a line drive from sophomore Izzy Ramirez was caught by Eureka second baseman Haylie Hall to end the game.

Early in the second game, a single on a line drive to right field by sophomore Montana Rice brought in sophomore Izzy Ramirez, giving the Lady Trojans a temporary lead. Yet, Eureka answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning.

Eureka’s Escobar took the wind out of the Lady Trojans, ending the second inning with three strikeouts in a row.

The third inning, Escobar seemed to be up for a repeat, striking out junior Kaylee Tunison and sophomore Izzy Ramirez. Freshman Talise Becquart was the first Troy batter to break Escobar’s streak, advancing on an error by Escobar on a ground ball.

Yet, as things got going again with a grounder past shortstop by sophomore Montana Rice, Becquart was called out between second and third for interference when the umpire judged she came between the shortstop and the ball.

After two innings without a Troy run, Eureka took off in the bottom of the third, scoring seven runs, but only making two runs on errors.

In the fourth inning, the Lady Trojans once again showed they were determined to keep the game going. With Winebark on first, junior Cami Finley doubled on a line drive to left field, and Winebark took full advantage, scoring a run.

Later, with two outs on the board, Tunison hit a grounder past second, and Finley and sophomore Harlee Huisentruit both scored runs.

Troy held Eureka from any more runs in the bottom of the inning, with Tunison catching a pop fly in foul territory, Hermes striking a batter out swinging and Finley catching a batter out on a line drive to center field.

Troy was able to add another run in the fifth, and once again locked Eureka up in four plays, with no new runs on the board, with Ramirez catching two batters out on line drives at second and Hermes striking another batter out swinging.

But in the sixth, the Lady Trojans grounded out in three plays, and Eureka sealed the final inning with three more runs.

Haggerty acknowledged that Escobar pitched well for Eureka, making it difficult for Troy to get a piece of the ball during the second game.

“It was one of those games, we didn’t give up,” Haggerty said. “The girls fought right to the end, and stayed in it, and we’re makin some plays, but just didn’t make enough.”

With the loss to Eureka, Troy will play one final game at home against Thompson Falls at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

Friday, May 12

Game 1

Eureka 16, Troy 4

E 202 331 5 - R:16 H:11 E:2

T 001 110 1 - R:4 H:10 E:6

AB-H, R

E: Michael Shea 5-1, 1; Katie Schmidt 4-0, 2; Avory Escobar 5-3, 3; Rylee Morgan 5-3, 2; Bailey Bishop 5-2, 1; Cassie Hammack 5-1, 1; Aiyana Twigg 4-0, 1; Rhianna Hawkins 3-0, 2; Erynn Thier 1-1, 3

T: Kaylee Tunison 4-2, 1; Talise Becquart 3-1; Tristyn Winebark 3-1; Cami Finley 4-1, 1; Kenzie Wallace 2-1, 1; Harlee Huisentruit 1-1; Mazzy Hermes 3-2; Paige Chapel 4-1; Chloe Yeadon 1 run (in for Hermes)

Batting: 2B - Escobar 2, Huisentruit; 3B - Tunison; HR - Escobar, Bishop; ROE - Shea, Schmidt, Escobar, Morgan, Twigg 2, Rice; RBI - Escobar 4, Morgan, Bishop 3, Hammack, Chapel, Tunison, Winebark

Pitching: W - Avory Escobar 6, .613 S%, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 5 SO, 6 BB; Aiyana Twig 1, .619 S%, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 SO, 0 BB; L - Mazzy Hermes 7, .568 S%, 11 H, 16 R, 6 ER, 7 SO, 6 BB, 2 HR

Game 2

Eureka 15, Troy 5

T 100 310 - R:5 H:6 E:9

E 327 003 - R:15 H:11 E:5

AB-H, R

E: Erynn Thier 2-0, 2; Kristi Williams 2-0, 1; Michael Shea 5-1; Avory Escobar 4-2, 2; Rylee Morgan 4-1, 1; Bailey Bishop 4-2, 1; Cassie Hammack 3-1; Aiyana Twigg 4-1, 1; Ciara Miller 3-1, 3; Katie Schmidt 3-2, 3

T: Izzy Ramirez 3-1, 1; Talise Becquart 3-1; Montana Rice 3-2; Tristyn Winebark 3-1, 2; Cami Finley 2-1, 1; Harlee Huisentruit 2-0, 1

Batting: 2B - Schmidt, Bishop 2, Finley; ROE - Shea 2, Escobar 3, Morgan, Bishop 3, Hammack, Thier, Becquart, Rice, Tunison, Winebark; RBI - Shea 2, Escobar 3, Morgan, Bishop 3, Hammack, Thier, Finley, Rice

Pitching: W - Avory Escobar 6.0, .676 S%, 6 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 7 SO, 3 BB; L - Mazzy Herme, 5.2, .594 S%, 11 H, 15 R, 4 ER, 2 SO, 4 BB