Power outage no match for Troy softball, baseball teams

Troy pitcher Halle Wallace delivers against Plains on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)

Troy short stop Leslie Gravier throws to first base for an out against Plains on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)

Troy third baseman Ainsley Huitron connects for a hit against Plains on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)

Troy centerfielder Ellie Borgmann heads for first base after connecting for a hit against Plains on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)

Troy starting pitcher Derek Cole throws a pitch against Noxon on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)

Troy relief pitcher Braxton Yeadon throws a pitch against Noxon on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)

Troy's Braxton Pinyard steals second base against Noxon on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)

Troy's Mason Crowe fouls off a pitch against Noxon on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)

Troy's Cooper Carsley swings away against Noxon on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)

by SCOTT SHINDLEDECKER
The Western News | May 17, 2024 7:00 AM

A major power outage notwithstanding, the softball and baseball teams of Troy High School celebrated a playoff win, a birthday and a Senior Night win Tuesday.

While the inconvenience was felt from Troy to Bull Lake, caused by a squirrel at BPA substation, according to city officials, the Trojan sports teams were undaunted.

The softball team was in a 7B District play-in game against visiting Plains. The Trotters came off the bus swinging their bats at Kensler Field and led 7-0 before the Trojans got their first crack.

When the first inning was over, Troy led 12-7 and never looked back while rolling to a 28-7 win in three innings.

In the first inning, hits, walks, a hit batter and errors combined helped Troy put a dozen runs on the scoreboard.

Autumn Fisher and Ellie Borgmann each delivered run-scoring singles while Tana Grant’s well-hit double to deep left field scored a run.

Ainsley Hutron’s 2-run double to left made it 12-7.

For Troy pitcher Halle Wallace, she had a much better second inning while retiring three of four batters and not allowing any runs.

The Lady Trojans came out swinging in the second inning and batted around twice while scoring 16 runs.

Wallace tripled to left and Addyson Fisher slammed an inside-the-park home run to deep center to score herself and Wallace to make it 14-7.

A series of walks, wild pitches and hit batter allowed even more baserunners to cross home plate, eventually making the score 28-7.

Only an error prevented Wallace from setting the Plains lineup down in order, but she struck out two to end the Mercy Rule win.

As the Lady Trojans gathered in left field to celebrate the comeback win, they serenaded head coach Keith Haggerty with “Happy Birthday” wishes.

The win put the Trojans into the Western Divisional B-C tournament in Florence. Troy played Manhattan Christian Thursday morning.

As the afternoon stretched into evening, the Trojans baseball squad, in its second full season, was hosting the Noxon Red Devils, a team playing its first varsity season.

Noxon looked to spoil Senior Night for Trojan players Derek Cole and Braxton Yeadon. The Red Devils led 3-2 entering the bottom of the fourth inning when Troy struck for six runs. The Trojans never surrendered the 8-3 lead and won 11-7 at Roosevelt Park.

Cole and Yeadon each played key roles in the win. Cole started the game and threw six innings before Yeadon got the ball in the seventh and finished the win.

In the fourth inning, the Trojans loaded the bases before a grounder to third base resulted in the first out. But with Cole at the plate, a balk was called on the Noxon pitcher and Yeadon scored to make it 3-3.

After a strikeout, Lucas Peterson walked to load the bases and Sawyer Savage’s grounder found a hole in the middle of the Noxon defense to break the tie, 4-3.

Tommy Guinard and Trapper Savage each drew bases-loaded walks to push two more runs across for a 6-3 lead. Henry Roy Jr.’s single made it 7-3 and Yeadon was hit by a pitch to force another run across the plate for an 8-3 lead.

The Trojans took advantage of more control problems by Noxon pitchers to score three more runs for an 11-4 lead.