Trojanettes eliminated by Exira-EHK in semis
RED OAK — For the second straight season, the Essex Trojanettes were eliminated in the 1A regional softball semifinals by Exira-EHK as they lost 7-2 Friday night at the Red Oak Sports Complex.
Essex got on the board early, thanks to two runs in the first inning.
Lead-off hitter Skylar Ross scored the first run of the inning thanks to a bad pick off attempt at third base with two outs in the inning and runners on the corner. Ross led off the game with a single off of Exira-EHK pitcher Rachel Smith.
Sara Skalberg drove in the next run on a single, sending Regan Burns across home plate.
Skalberg retired the side in order to start the first inning and give Essex the 2-0 lead.
Exira-EHK didn’t score its first run until the bottom of the third when with two on and nobody out, Sophia Peppers knocked in two runs on a base hit to tie the game.
A dropped third strike in the next at-bat gave the Spartans a go-ahead run. Exira-EHK scored once more in the inning, courtesy of a RBI-hit by Kennedy Masen. Exira-EHK led 4-2 through three innings.
With the lead in hand, Smith took control of the game on the mound, striking out the Trojanette batters in order for the second, third and fourth innings.
Smith retired 10 straight Essex batters via strikeout. She finished the game with 17 strikeouts.
During that time, Exira-EHK scored twice in the fourth to make it 6-2.
One more run in the bottom of the fifth made the lead 7-2 for the Spartans.
Essex was able to get runners on in the final innings, but weren’t able to capitalize and score runs.
The Trojanettes finish the season with a 10-16 record.
Essex 8, Fremont-Mills 3
Essex reached the semifinals by knocking off the Corner Conference champion Knights last Wednesday in Tabor.
The Trojanettes scored five runs in the ninth inning to pull away and get the win.
Bethany Johnson led the way by going 3-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI.
Three other Essex players had two hit games, including Burns, who was 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Amber Ohnmacht was 2-for-4, while Kym Graham went 2-for-5.
Ausha Gay had one of the key highlights when she had a home run.
Gay finished the game 1-for-5. Seana Perkins was 1-for-6 with a triple and a run scored.
Essex 10, Sidney 4
It took two nights, but the Trojanettes reached the quarterfinals of the regional softball tournament by defeating Sidney last Tuesday 10-4.
The game was originally set for last Monday, but the game had to be played the next day in Macedonia.
Essex jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.
Gay was 4-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored and three RBIs.
Johnson went 3-for-4 with one run scored and two RBIs. Graham was 2-for-3 with three runs scored.
Ross, Perkins, Skalberg and Ohnmacht all had hits in the game.