"This was the game when everything went right," she said. "We played good defense and only had two errors for the game. Coach Skinner (assistant Sarah Skinner) and I told the girls before the game if we didn't have more than two errors and got more than two hits, we could compete with them, and we did. It's great for the team to see for themselves how good they can be."
The Trojans were 0-2 going into the game with losses to BGM and Vinton-Shellsburg. This was their first win of the season. For coach Ahrens this was a reward for the hard work and effort she has put into the program. It was her first conference win, her first win over border rival Grinnell, and her first "road win." Those were several monkeys to get off her back!
"Jen Maus pitched really well," Ahrens said. "She has been working on control over the winter. There were a lot of first strike pitches. It really helps when you can get ahead of the batter."
"As I said, it's good for the girls to see just what they are capable of," she said.
Kourtne Smith brought in Katelyn Behounek with a double, then Maus brought in Smith with another double in the top of the fourth inning to start the scoring.
STC stretched their lead to 4-0 in the top of the fifth inning. Sarah Holtz made it safe to first and was brought in by Riley Craun Trish Walz brought in Craun with a fly to left field.
Holtz got an RBI in the top of the fifth inning, bringing in Jade Rohach from second.
Megan Schmidt brought in Lauren Sharp in the bottom of the sixth inning for the tigers only run in the game.
The Tigers had runners on first and second in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Trojan defense held. Weiss fielded a ground ball with two outs and threw to Holtz and first for the third out and the end of the game.
Article Photos
STC shortstop Hailee Weiss (left) fileds a ground ball and tosses it to Kourtne Smith at second base, forcing out Courtney Allen on the play.
Chronicle/Charley Townsley