PARK HILLS — The softball season came to an earlier-than-expected end for the Three Rivers College Lady Raiders over the weekend as they dropped their sub-regional series to the North Central Missouri College Pirates 2-1 at Mineral Area College.
North Central took Saturday's opener 5-4 before the Lady Raiders won the second game later that day 7-3. In Sunday's deciding game, the Pirates won 5-2. The games were moved to MAC because of wet field conditions at J.D. Rains Field, Three Rivers' home field.
TRC ends its season with a record of 33-22.
In Sunday's deciding game, NCMC scored the game's first run on a groundball in the top of the first inning, then capitalized on an error to add two more runs in the top of the third. Rylie Boyer singled and later scored when Hope Helton's flyball was dropped, making it 2-0. Helton later scored on Brookelynn Becker's base hit to make it 3-0.
Becker doubled home a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning to put the Pirates up 5-0, but the Lady Raiders did not give up, as Gracie Wright doubled home Lexi Davis in the bottom of the fifth to get on the board.
Taylor Reed hit a one-out, pinch-hit solo homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to cut the NCMC lead to 5-2, then singles by Davis and Wright brought the tying run to the plate. However, the Lady Raiders could get no closer as the game — and season — ended.
Wright had two hits in the loss.
Emma Crabb took the loss in the circle. The freshman lefty allowed 10 hits and three earned runs while striking out five and walking none as she went the distance.
Three Rivers and NCMC played a 10-inning marathon in Saturday's opener.
The Pirates led 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning when Wright doubled home Josie Bezzole to make it 3-2, then Wright later scored on a wild pitch to tie the score.
The game remained 3-3 until the top of the 10th inning, when Becker doubled home two runs to give North Central a 5-3 lead. Wright led off the bottom of the 10thh with a triple and later scored on Alyssa Bastien's groundball, but TRC could get no closer.
Davis, Wright and Bezzole each had a pair of hits in the game, while Bastien drove in two runs.
Crabb took the loss in the circle despite a stellar performance. She pitched all 10 innings, striking out 16 while allowing four earned runs and scattering 11 hits and a walk.
With their backs to the wall, the Lady Raiders responded in Saturday's second game, scoring three runs in the top of the fifth inning to snap a 2-2 tie and take the lead for good. Davis led off the top of the fifth inning with a walk and scored on Wright's triple to make it 3-2, then Wright scored on Bastien's sacrifice flyball to make it 4-2. Camryn Casey then walked and later scored on Natalie Wilks's base hit to cap the rally.
Wilks led TRC with three hits in the game, while Maddy Hefner added a pair and Bastien drove in two runs.
Wilks also earned the win in the circle, allowing one earned run in six innings of work before Crabb tossed a scoreless seventh to earn the save.
This weekend's sub-regional series also featured the last games for eight sophomores on this year's roster — Bastien, Bezzole, Casey, Davis, Jordan Moore, Lexus Hagood, Elly Eckrich and Morgan Courtney.
Mike Buhler - Daily American Republic