Trojans season ends in longest national tournament game in NJCAA history

It was a historic end to a historic season for the Triton College softball team. Unfortunately, the ending was not the magical one the team envisioned. The Trojans fell on the wrong side of history in a 5-4 loss in 15 innings to Delaware Technical Community College May 26 in an elimination game at the NJCAA Division II Softball Championship in Oxford, Alabama.

The contest was the longest game in both national tournament and Triton school history.

For Triton, their season ends with a school record 53 wins with just 10 losses en route to making their first national tournament appearance since 1988.

However, a Trojan offense that was among the top in the nation in almost every statistical category struggled to gain traction throughout the tournament scoring a total of 6 runs in 20 innings played.

Against Delaware Tech, Triton banged out 19 hits but could not pick up the big hit when needed as the Trojans stranded 19 baserunners.

Triton got on the board first in the top of the fourth on a two-out, two-run run triple by Alexis Maldonado (Morton) that brought home Samanta Nelson (Taft) and starting pitcher Geneva Pollman (South Elgin).

It appeared the two runs would enough for Pollman who battled tough in the steamy 90 degree conditions. The Hawks (19-6) scored a single tally in the fifth. But with Delaware Tech down to their final out in the seventh, Logan Walls tripled deep to right to drive in the tying run. Pollman was pulled by head coach Christina Christopher for Alyssa Stramaglia after a valiant 131 pitch effort. Stramaglia was able to get the Trojans out of the frame with Walls left at third to set up the roller coaster extra innings that saw plenty of scoring opportunities for both sides.

Delaware Tech left the bases loaded in the eighth, runners at second and third in the ninth and a runner at second in the tenth. The Hawks stranded 17 baserunners themselves.

Triton seemed like they would make the Hawks pay for those missed chances by breaking through with a pair of runs in the 11^th inning. Melissa Gonzalez (Guerin Prep) tripled to center to drive in Carissa Bombardiere (Geneva). Gonzalez would later score on a wild pitch during Celeste Boshold's (Elmwood Park) at bat to give the Trojans a 4-2 advantage.

But once again Delaware Tech answered with a two-run double by Kaylie Moore to draw even. Stramaglia was able to retire the next three batters to get out of trouble.

The Trojans had two more great scoring chances in the 13^th and 14^th innings and came up empty each time. Then in the top of the 15^th went down in order very quickly to put the Hawks in position to end the marathon.

Walls led off with a walk and then Courtney Kohel reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt to put runners at first and second. Moore then hit into a 5-4-3 double play as Walls advanced to third.

This set the stage for the Hawks Macey Myers who hit a slow roller on the infield that Boshold cut-off at short but had no play at first to attempt to retire Macey to end one of the most memorable games in NJCAA tournament history.

The two teams threw 463 total pitches combined between five pitchers who faced a total of 135 batters in a game that lasted four hours and ten minutes played in the scorching afternoon heat.

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