Trinity Valley captures Region 14 title, earns NJCAA tournament berth
Trinity Valley Community College moved one step closer to the Region 14 softball championship Thursday, defeating Blinn College 7-4 in the semifinal round of the Region 14 Tournament.
HOUSTON — Trinity Valley Community College captured the Region 14 softball championship with a 7-4 victory over Blinn College in tournament play Thursday.
The nationally ranked No. 5 Cardinals used a three-run first inning and added three more runs in the third to build enough separation in a tightly contested matchup.
Trinity Valley struck first with three runs in the opening inning before Blinn chipped away. Londyn Holland brought in the Buccaneers' first run with a sacrifice fly in the second, and Cadence Wiese cut the deficit to one with a solo home run in the third, her 12th of the season.
The Cardinals answered in the bottom of the third with three more runs to regain control. Blinn responded when Daniela Lopez launched a two-run home run to center field, trimming the deficit to 6-4, but Trinity Valley added an insurance run in the fourth and held on the rest of the way.
Both teams finished with nine hits.
Wiese, Halle Scheel and Skylar Flanagan each collected two hits for Blinn, with Wiese also adding a double.
Madisyn Bracknell took the loss for Blinn after allowing seven runs, three earned, on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. She walked three and struck out three. Brynn Gallamore recorded the final out in relief.
With the championship victory, Trinity Valley secured the Region 14 automatic berth to the NJCAA Division I Softball Championship tournament.