Softball Shines in Florida

A possible worthy successor to recent Triton College softball strikeout queens Alyssa Stramaglia and McKenzie Johnson showed her best stuff to spark her team's fabulously successful 9-1 road trip to Florida.

Newcomer Danielle Hoffman racked up the whiffs while the entire Triton roster amassed impressive hitting statistics to win nine in a row after dropping the road trip opener. The Trojans had won their first four games, including three shutouts, in regional competition so they now can boast of a gaudy 13-1 season start.

I absolutely believe she will be as good" as Stramaglia and Johnson with 54 strikeouts already, said Trojans head coach Ken Jurasz. "Dani's well on her way to match those two pitchers. The Mid-Michigan coach asked where do you get these pitchers? "

After dropping the opener 5-1 to Mott Community College, Hoffman got the momentum going with 11 strikeouts in five innings in an 8-0 thumping of Mid-Michigan Community College.

Three games later, Hoffman blew away the majority of Iowa Lakes College hitters with 16 strikeouts in seven innings in a 6-5 victory. On three occasions Hoffman supplied the hitters' power – she served up three homers, including a two-run shot. Otherwise, the Iowa Lakes lineup was kept off base.

In the first of two consecutive blowout victories over Niagara County Community College, Hoffman was called in to relief in the third inning after starter Emani Torres developed a blister. She quickly wrapped up the victory with eight whiffs in three innings.

For good measure, Hoffman proved Jurasz's scouting as a two-way player. Logging time in the outfield on her days off from the mound, Hoffman homered in an 11-3 victory over Northeast Community College.

Other Triton pitchers followed in Hoffman's wake. Torres logged a complete-game victory in an 8-3 triumph over Hawkeye Community College. Amelia Rieger pitched out of several jams, allowing just two hits overall in a complete game, in blanking Simpson College (JV) 1-0.

Center fielder Mackenzie Bickhaus hit consistently throughout the trip with three hits against Iowa Lakes and three RBI's against Hawkeye. The Brunos – outfielder Alyssa and infielder Isabella – each slugged a homer against Hawkeye.

Miabella Herrera came up big in the Niagara victories with two hits in the first game, then a huge spree in the second going 5-for-5, including a three-run homer, with five RBIs. Eliza Genis had three RBIs in each game.

In a 15-7 victory over Cuyahoga Community College, Kelley Tyler had four hits and three RBIs while Liliana Mar had three hits and three RBIs.

Jurasz also moved players around to new positions so they could gain experience for necessary future shifts. Backup catcher Eliza Genis moved to shortstop against Ellsworth Community College, and drove in a run.

"It was a great team-building trip," Jurasz said. "They got used to the 'next person up' situations. We asked them to fill in situations. We had chess pieces to move. The team had to get comfortable being uncomfortable, playing out of position."

The heavy storms that battered the lower Midwest and South washed out the final game against rival Parkland College. Jurasz had been looking forward to that competitive test, so he quickly moved to reschedule the game closer to home.

Speaking of home, the Trojans will play their first set of games in River Grove, Saturday, March 22 in a doubleheader beginning at Noon against Prairie State College.

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(Story by tritonathletics.com contributor George Castle)