Before the heavy rains hit River Grove Wednesday evening, the Triton softball team poured it on early and often in sweeping Morton College in the Region IV tournament opening round best-of-three series. The Trojans dominated with a pair of double-digit wins in five innings, 14-1 and 11-1.
Triton, 34-20
received votes in the latest NJCAA Division II poll moves on to the regional final four for the third consecutive year under head coach
Christina Christopher. The No. 2 seeded Trojans will play No. 3 seed Kankakee Community College Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at
Read Park in Freeport. The remainder of the tournament is a double-elimination format among the final four teams with the championship game set for Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The Region IV champion advances to the
NJCAA National Tournament May 16-19 in Clinton, MS.
Triton did not waste anytime against the visitors from Cicero with a nine-run first inning to start game one. Two Morton errors combined with singles from
Rebecca Johnson and
Giulia Magnelli quickly put the Trojans up 3-0 five batters into the contest. Then
Michala Belter followed with a two-run homer to left, her 14th of the season to make it 5-0. With two outs,
Samantha Wahl walked and Triton followed with three straight triples by Johnson,
Bailey Williams and
Hailey Johansen as the Trojans sent 14 batters to the plate in the frame.
Triton scored three more runs in the second thanks to two more Panther errors to increase the margin to 12-0. For the game, Morton committed six miscues.
The run support was more than plenty for Magnelli who picked up her 11th victory of the season. She pitched three scoreless innings, facing 10 batters with the lone Panther reaching base on an error.
Dana Bunting allowed one run in two innings to finish off Morton in game one.
The second game was more of the same as the Trojans tallied four runs in the first inning and never looked back. Triton was paced by
Stephanie Donado who went 3-for-3 with four runs batted in. Donado drove in runs on a single in the first, a double in the third, and a single in the fourth.
Jillian Lazzara got the win for Triton allowing one hit and no runs over two innings.
Kayla Rivera threw the final three innings in relief giving up one run.
Follow Triton Athletics on Twitter
@TritonTrojans1 or on Instagram
@Triton_College_Athletics
