No. 6 Tritons sweep 'Hounds in softball opener

Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Fort Scott second baseman Alix Price tries to stretch to bring down a high throw and make a play on Iowa Central's Ashley Willard during the fourth inning of the second game of a doubleheader at the Betty Ruth Willard Complex Sunday afternoon. Willard was safe on the play, one of nine errors the Greyhounds committed as No. 6-ranked Iowa Central swept the twinbill. (Scott Nuzum/Tribune)

Fort Scott Community College's new head softball coach, Malinda Berglund, saw her team stumble out of the block as it dropped both games of a season-opening doubleheader to Iowa Central at the Betty Ruth Willard Complex Sunday afternoon. The Tritons, ranked No. 6 in NJCAA Division II, swept the Greyhounds 8-3 and 10-0, the second game called after 5 innings on the run rule.

The Greyhounds committed 9 errors in the doubleheader which led to 12 unearned runs for the Tritons, including all 8 in the first game.

Fort Scott trailed 6-0 after the first two innings of the opener after committing a two-out error in the top of the first and two errors in the second. The Greyhounds didn't get on the board until the bottom of the fifth when Brittney Boyd's ground out drove in Aubrie Duval, who had led off the inning with a triple.

Iowa Central added two more in the top of the sixth to make it 8-1. Brittny Washington hit a 2-run home run for the 'Hounds in the bottom of the inning. Marie Crowley scored on that play after reaching base on an error.

Paige Colburn had Fort Scott's only other hit as Iowa Central starting pitcher Christina Bradley allowed only one walk while striking out 8 in the first 6 innings. Shelby Messersmith pitched the seventh for the Tritions, striking out one.

Brittany Martin went 3 for 4 and drove in 4 runs for Iowa Central. Ashley Willard was 2 for 3.

Iowa Central scored single runs in the first and second innings of the second game. Courtney McNally hit a solo home run in the second for the Tritons.

Martin hit a homer in the top of the third as Iowa Central scored 4 runs in the inning off second-game starter Cassie Sharon. The Tritons added 4 more runs in the fourth.

Alex Clough, Lexy Rozmus and Steph Graziani each had 2 hits for Iowa Central, which had 9 hits off Sharon.

Cola Danna struck out 10 Greyhounds in 4 innings of work, allowing only 1 hit and no walks. Nicole Berg pitched the 5th inning, allowing 1 hit and striking out one.

Colburn and Trisha Stone had Fort Scott's only hits.

The Greyhounds go to Chanute Tuesday to take on Neosho County in the first doubleheader of Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division play. Their next home games will be at 3 p.m. Friday for a division doubleheader with Independence.

NOTES -- Iowa Central also swept Labette, 6-1 and 9-1, on Friday and Allen County, 5-0 and 8-0, on Saturday....


Game One

Iowa Central240 002 0 -- 8 9 1
Fort Scott000 012 0 -- 3 3 6

WP -- Bradley. LP -- Washington.

HR -- Iowa Central: None. Fort Scott: Washington, 6th inn., one on, one out.

Game Two

Iowa Central 114 40x x -- 10 9 0
Fort Scott000 00x x -- 0 2 3

WP -- Danna. LP -- Sharon.

HR -- Iowa Central: McNally, 2nd inn., none on, two out; Martin, 3rd inn., none on, one out. Fort Scott: None.