The offense broke out in both games as TCJ Eagles Softball faced the Mangos of USCAA John Melvin Christian College for a Saturday afternoon double-header at Trinity Softball Complex. Both teams had multiple big innings in both games, and the teams finished with one win apiece.  

Game 2: Eagles 14, John Melvin Christian 8

The Eagles came to bat in the bottom of the 4th trailing 6-4 and rallied for 7 runs to take a commanding lead. Carlin Payne started the outburst with a base hit, and Ashlee Shaw (error) and Piper Young (single) loaded the bases with nobody out. Nicole Yi drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly that advanced all runners, and Raghan Beckham followed with a 2-run single to clear the bases and give the Eagles a lead they would not relinquish.

A walk, a single, and an out later, Ellarie McGatha pinch hit and drove in Beckham and Kylea Duhig. Cassidy Custer on third and McGatha on second then pulled off a double steal with Custer scoring, and the rally concluded with Payne's RBI single that plated McGatha. The Eagles led 11-6 by the inning's end.

Trinty added a run in the fifth when Autumn Eady doubled home Duhig (walk). The final two runs came in the 6th on a laser-beam two-run homer from Yi with Shaw aboard after her base hit. Yi also had the defensive play of the game when she snared a hard bases-loaded one-hopper at third, stepped on the bag, and threw home to complete an inning-ending double play as JMCC threatened to pull much closer in the top of the 6th. 

[Nicole Yi homered after turning a 5U-2 double play in the 6th inning of Game 2.]

Yi was 2 for 4 with a home run and 4 RBI in the Eagles' win. 

John Melvin Christian took an early 5-1 lead after scoring 3 in the 1st and two in the 2nd. Trinity responded with a RBI single from Payne in the 1st and a run-scoring passed ball and a 2-run double from Young in the 2nd. JMCC got a solo home run from Abby Rainwater and 3 RBI from Amber Daugherty to highlight thier offense. 

Eady pitched a complete game to earn her first collegiate win in the circle. She allowed 8 runs, 6 earned, on 9 hits while walking 5 and striking out 1. 

Game 1: John Melvin Christian 17, Eagles 9

Two early 4-run rallies gave the Eagles an 8-3 lead, but JMCC stormed right back with 14 consecutive runs over the next three innings. 

In the first, junior Cali Dunn launched a two-run shot that put TCJ ahead 4-3. The blast followed sacrifice flies from Shaw and McGatha to put the Eagles on the board. 

[Cali Dunn hit her first home run as a TCJ Eagle in Game 1.]

Duhig and Payne both had 2-run doubles in the third, scoring McGatha, Dunn, Duhig, and Alondra Galindo-Diaz in succession. They got one more in the sixth when Dunn's ground ball allowed Yi (double) to come in. 

JMCC, though, scored 4 in the 4th, took the lead for good in the 5th, and tacked on 5 more in the 6th. Daugherty, Madelyn Birling, and Nyasia Williams all homered, and Morgan Davis was 5 for 5 with 5 RBI.

Next Up:

The Eagles will visit NCAA Division-2 Edward Waters University on Monday for 1:00 and 3:00 start times. TCJ will then host NAIA Truett-McConnell University for two beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Valentine's Day.