The Lady Raiders got swept, didn't score a run, and had their winning streak busted. But they finished the day with their heads up.
Three Rivers College lost to Jefferson 8-0 in a five-inning opener and 3-0 in the nightcap at Rains Field. The losses ended an eight-game winning streak. With the losses, Jefferson swept the season series against Three Rivers, and got shutouts in all four games.
"We feel pretty good about where we're at going into the tournament," Three Rivers coach Jeff Null said. "They've learned to compete all seven innings."
With the Region XVI tournament starting this weekend and the Lady Raiders having locked up the No. 4 seed, and a first round opponent in MCC-Maple Woods, Null used the doubleheader as a tune-up to position the team for the tournament.
All four pitchers got work, with Wiley Lowry and Maci Coleman getting starts.
Lowry (14-10) pitched four innings in the opener, matching her shortest start since March 19.
Lowry, who leads the team with 145 2/3 innings pitched in 28 appearances, allowed nine hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Two of the five runs against her were earned as the Lady Raider defense had trouble for the second day in a row.
After committing six errors in Monday's opener against Mineral Area, the Lady Raiders (28-23, 12-10 Region XVI) committed three in Tuesday's opener.
Jefferson scored in each of the odd numbered innings, which were all elongated by an error.
"It seemed like we had grease on the ball that game," Null said. "We haven't had one quite like that all season."
Kira Cunningham got her fourth appearance of the season and first since March 19 by pitching the fifth inning. She allowed three hits with no walks and no strikeouts. One of the three runs against her were earned.
Lexi Morris and Kabrien Rogers each had a single for the Lady Raiders' only hits in the game. Three Rivers also drew five walks and stranded the bases loaded in the third inning.
The team finished with 19 at bats. It was the fifth time this season that Three Rivers didn't get at least 20 at bats.
Coleman (2-3) got her fifth pitching start of the season in the nightcap and limited Jefferson (39-13, 18-4 Region XVI) to five hits and a walk over five innings. The Lady Raider defense tightened up and committed one error when a fly ball dropped in the heavy wind.
"She hadn't thrown much lately and she did an outstanding job," Null said of Coleman. "She gave us a chance."
The gusts blew straight in, giving the fly-ball pitching Coleman help. Several long hit shots held up in the breeze and were caught near the fence.
Jefferson managed a solo home run in the third, and manufactured runs in the first and fifth innings.
Carleigh Burnett pitched the final two innings in the circle and allowed one hit and no walks with one strikeout.
The Lady Raiders scattered six hits by six batters, and didn't earn any walks.
Three Rivers had the tying run at the plate with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but popped up to third.
"We were just a big hit away from being right in that game," Null said