Lady Trojans take pair from Nickerson
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
Two games into the season, Trojan softball coach Carolyn Long decided it was time to juggle her starting lineup Thursday against the visiting Nickerson Lady Panthers.
Looking for the right combination, Long may have indeed found it.
At least it got the job done for the Trojans (4-2) grinding out a sweep against the Panthers with Hillsboro nipping Nickerson, 3-1 and 6-5.
Two days earlier against Collegiate, the Trojan defense was rocked by an explosive Spartan offense, surrendering 22 runs.
Marissa Diener tossed a five-hit opening win, fanning 11 Nickerson batters while going the distance.
The Trojans pounded out three of their seven hits in the bottom of the second with three straight base hits from Diener, Erin Wiebe, and Sara Hamm.
Katie Baltzer gave Hillsboro a 1-0 lead to close out the second, scoring Diener on a passed ball.
Nickerson's Lindsey Harrell's night went south in the bottom of the third, walking leadoff batter Danielle Goossen.
Amy Duerksen made it a 2-0 game, scoring Goossen with a stand-up double.
Duerksen came in on Ratzlaff's sacrifice fly to close out the Trojans' scoring entirety.
Diener's shutout gave way with the Panthers down to their last three outs.
She gave up an RBI single, but never allowed the tying run to get to the plate, striking out the next two batters.
Wiebe got the start on the mound in the nightcap.
The Panthers cashed in on a wild pitch and wild throw to third to grab a 3-0 lead heading into the home half of the first to end Wiebe's outing.
Reliever Laura Lindsay let the lead inflate to 4-0, giving up a triple and a sacrifice bunt.
The Trojans' bats came to life in the bottom of the third with Ratzlaff driving in a run with one of two triples.
Hamm chopped the Panther lead to one, scoring Ratzlaff with a base-hit.
Hillsboro exploded again in the fifth with one out.
Much to the Panthers' chagrin, Ratzlaff struck again, this time, scoring the go-ahead run with her second triple.
Ratzlaff ended the game a perfect three-for-three with a double, a pair of triples, and a game-high three RBIs.
Diener drove in the sixth run with Ratzlaff scoring on a fielder's choice.
Up 6-4, the Trojans weren't out of the woods yet. They flirted with disaster in the seventh inning with the go-ahead run at the plate twice.
Lindsay eluded catastrophe, giving up one run.
The Trojans travel Friday to Halstead before returning home Tuesday to host Smoky Valley.
Both games are slated for 4:30 p.m.
