JACKSONVILLE – It was a rough start to the softball season for the Mendota Lady Trojans as they dropped all four games in the Jacksonville Tournament on March 15-16.
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JACKSONVILLE – It was a rough start to the softball season for the Mendota Lady Trojans as they dropped all four games in the Jacksonville Tournament on March 15-16.
Mendota opened the season with a narrow 10-9 setback to Dunlap in the first of two games on March 15.
The Lady Trojans took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third and then Dunlap got on the board with four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Mendota regained the lead with a three-spot in the top of the fifth, but Dunlap pushed across four runs in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth. The Lady Trojans rallied with four in the top of the seventh, but came up a run short.
Mendota banged out 17 hits, led by Emma Boatman with two home runs, two singles and four runs batted in. Alex Barrera, Kassidy Barkman and Mary DeFore had three singles apiece, while Jenna O’Donnell laced a double.
Losing pitcher Paige Manning pitched the first five innings and allowed 12 hits and eight runs, four earned. She struck out two and did not issue a walk. DeFore gave up a pair of runs on three hits in one inning of work.
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In game two on Friday, Yorkville had its bats booming and defeated Mendota, 14-3, in a contest called in the fifth because of the 10-run rule.
Yorkville held a 1-0 lead until Mendota plated three runs in the top of the third. Jenna O’Donnell drove in a pair with a double.
But Yorkville answered with three tallies in the bottom of the third, and then scored six in the fourth and four more in the fifth to bring the game to a halt.
Mendota finished with five hits, including a double by Barkman.
Boatman suffered the pitching loss for Mendota, allowing nine hits and 10 runs (nine earned) in four innings. She struck out one and walked three. DeFore retired one batter in the fifth as Yorkville scored four times on four hits.
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Mendota was outscored, 26-3, in suffering a pair of 10-run rule losses on Saturday. The first opponent of the day was Ottawa Marquette, which posted a 13-3 victory over the Lady Trojans.
Marquette scored in every inning, while Mendota mustered two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth.
Boatman singled, doubled and drove in a run, while Eve Herbert doubled and had an RBI.
DeFore and Boatman each pitched a pair of innings, with DeFore taking the loss. Marquette picked up 17 hits.
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In the tournament finale, Mercer County blanked Mendota, 13-0.
The Lady Trojans had just two hits – singles by Jenna O’Donnell and Manning.
Manning was tagged with the loss, giving up 13 hits.
