Lady Trojans snap four-game slide with sweep
No place like home as Hillsboro softball team demolishes Hesston
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
Off to their slowest start in school history, the Lady Trojans know all about tough breaks.
Opening the year 0-4, they also know about heartbreaks, with three of the four losses determined by two runs or less.
The Trojans had to be looking for somebody to take out their frustrations on.
What better team to do that to than the winless Hesston Lady Swathers and possibly get some retribution back from a 3A sub-state final loss in basketball.
That's exactly what the (2-4) Trojans did Friday in Hillsboro's home opener, run ruling the Swathers both games in 13-0 and 12-0 wipeouts.
The biggest highlight for the Swathers in the first game had to be getting out of the first inning with no damage done.
But Hesston had the dam burst the second inning with the Trojans blowing the game open.
Twice this season, the Trojans have put up a record five runs.
That fell Friday behind five hits as the Trojans set new records for both the season and in a single inning, erupting for nine.
Hillsboro pounded out 10 hits the opener and 18 on the day.
Amanda Bina and Emily Ratzlaff each drove in two RBIs with singles while Sara Hamm and Jess Klose had one with Klose doubling.
Laura Lindsay kept the Swathers handcuffed at the plate, tossing a one-hitter in the abridged game.
The Trojans put up three more in the third, pushing their lead to 12-0 on a two-out three-run triple from Ratzlaff.
She was 2 for 3 the first game with a game-high five RBIs.
While Hesston managed to escape the first inning the early game with no damage done, that didn't materialize in the nightcap with the bottom falling out right away.
And Ratzlaff had a hand in Hillsboro breaking loose for four runs in the first, second, and fourth innings.
Erin Wiebe also added an RBI single and an RBI double to supply the Trojans with two of their eight hits.
Bina added a bases-clearing triple in the bottom of the second for one of three Hillsboro extra base-hits.
On Tuesday the Trojans evened their record to 4-4 on the year, sweeping the hosting Marion Warriors, 12-3, and 9-5.
The Trojans face Nickerson Friday in Hillsboro with a trip to Lindsborg coming on Tuesday against Smoky Valley. Both games are scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
