EvCC Slides in to Home with a Pair of Wins

Everett, WA – Trojan softball added two more wins in the north region standings on Wednesday afternoon, defeating Pierce 5-1 and 11-3.  Sophomore Layna Cowin had a solid day at the plate going 3-5 with a pair of doubles and two RBI's, while freshman Alissa Hermansen was solid in the circle and pitched a total of 8 innings, allowing just 5 hits and one earned run.   

Game one started out rocky as Pierce pushed across a run on back-to-back hits.  The Trojans went scoreless through the first four innings but kept the game in reach with solid pitching and defense in the top halves of the 2^nd through 5^th innings.  Only one Raider reached in that time and it by way of a walk.

Everett got the bats going in the bottom of the 5^th with a Gracie Salverda double.  Alli Wilson then singled to score Salverda from 2^nd to tie the game at 1-1.  Three straight Pierce errors allowed three more runs to score and Cowin later singled to drive in Taryn Takayoshi who had reached via one of the errors. 

Those five runs would be all that was needed, as Hermansen finished out the final two innings, hanging zero's on the scoreboard with 4 strikeouts.  She would finish the game with a total off 11 K's, 5 hits allowed (just one extra base hit), and the one earned run. 

Pierce once again got an early lead by scoring an unearned run in the first inning but EvCC answered in the bottom of the 1^st when Takayoshi doubled to score Alli Wilson who reached on a walk. 

Takayoshi came in to pitch in the 2^nd inning with two runners on.  She struck out her first batter, but the next singled and scored a run that would be charged to starting pitcher Ava Puaatuua.  Pierce nearly scored another run on a ground ball, but a heads up play by Salverda going home with the ball prevented the run from scoring. 

Trailing 2-1, Everett came back in a big way with six runs in the bottom of the 2^nd.  It was started with a lead off double by Avery Olson.  Puaatuua singled to score Olson, and Salverda singled to drive in Puaatuua after Shayne Hoekendor reached on a single.  One batter later Hanson doubled to drive in two and Takayoshi singled to drive in two more. 

With the 7-2 lead, Everett was in the driver's seat, scoring four more through the next four innings, and ended the game in the 6^th via the eight-run rule.  Takayoshi pitched four innings, giving up 4 hits, no earned runs and struck out four.  Hermansen came back in to pitch to close out the game in the 6^th. 

Emman Hansen had three RBI's with a triple and a double, one of eight Trojans in the lineup to record at least two hits.  Takayoshi, Hermansen, Olson, were three others to record doubles and Layna Cowin had two doubles.  Salverda got her 14^th stolen base of the season which ties her for 4^th all time at EvCC in a single season. 

The Trojans will have some time before their next games, not playing until April 5^th when they will travel to Mount Vernon to take on Skagit Valley in a doubleheader.