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| Trojans pitcher Allie Milless during a game on April 9th. (photo by Brynna Owens) |
The Trojans came into the tournament as the third seed out of the north division in a 16-team double elimination tournament.
They started their visit to Portland squaring off with Walla Walla Community College, notching a close 6-5 victory after almost blowing a 6-1 lead they took into the final inning of the game. They were lead by the pitching of Allie Milless and Miranda Granger at the plate. Granger fell only a triple short of hitting for the cycle.
The offense took over in game two as the Trojans took a 2-0 lead in the first inning against South Puget Sound and never looked back. They took the game 10-0 as SPSCC was only able to muster two hits against Milless.
In game three they took on Spokane looking for their third win in a row. Hopes were dwindling when the Trojans went into the seventh and final inning down 3-2, but the girls prevailed, notching two runs in the inning to take victory 4-3 behind another well-pitched game by Milless and three hits by sophomore Melissa Webster.
Game four brought Everett’s first meeting with Mt. Hood. The game was scoreless until the sixth when the Trojan’s put two runs on the board behind a Miranda Granger home run, her second of the tournament in two days. But they could not hold on to the lead as Mt. Hood came out in the bottom half of the sixth with three runs of their own and handed Everett their first loss of the weekend 3-2.
One game away from elimination Everett took on Wenatchee Valley. Everett took a quick 5-0 lead after two innings, but WVCC was able to get their offense going and the game went tied 6-6 into the seventh inning. The Trojan’s jumped on WVCC’s pitching in the seventh and took the game 8-6 leaving them one win from the championship game.
The one win they ladies needed was one that hadn’t been able to do all year against powerhouse Bellevue who didn’t lose a conference game in the regular season. Lead by eight runs in the third inning and 17 hits overall the girls finally knocked off BCC for the first-time this year 17-9 placing them in the championship game against Mt. Hood.
Not having lost a game yet Mt. Hood would have to be beaten twice by the Trojan’s do to the double-elimination format of the tournament. EvCC’s one loss meant one more would send them home with second-place.
The girls jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and watched their lead slowly dwindle as the fourth inning end tied 3-3. With three innings left to go the Trojan’s offense sputtered not plating any more runs as the game up eight more in a tough loss.
The victory for MHCC is their third consecutive NWACC softball championship.
