Lady Raiders dominate Moberly in home finale

The Three Rivers College softball team could not have picked a much better way to end the home portion of its schedule than Tuesday’s performance against Moberly.

The Lady Raiders got stellar pitching from A.J. Agers and Makenna Moore and scored at least 12 runs in both games of a doubleheader sweep of Moberly. TRC defeated the visiting Greyhounds 12-3 in the order and 13-0 in the nightcap.

Three Rivers (42-9) has won eight in a row and is 22-2 in the month of April.

The Lady Raiders did not take long to overcome an early deficit in the opener. Trailing 1-0 entering the bottom of the first inning, Ann-Marie Simpson led off the inning with a single and quickly tied the score when Lexi Davis reached on an error. Agers then scored on Karlye Happold’s grounder to put TRC ahead 2-1. Davis then capped the rally by scoring on Kyla Puckett’s groundball.

Four straight singles from Simpson, Agers, Davis and Happold made it 6-1 in the bottom of the second inning, then Puckett capped the inning with a three-run homer to make it 9-1 and effectively put the game out of reach.

Meanwhile, Agers was strong in the circle, allowing three hits, one earned run and no walks in five innings of work.

Puckett led the Lady Raiders with four RBIs, while Happold and Simpson drove into runs a piece. Simpson also had three hits, while Puckett, Josie Bezzole and Audrey Rahlmann each had a pair.

Three Rivers set the tempo early in the nightcap with a four-run outburst in the bottom of the first inning.

Simpson singled and later scored on a Davis double, then Puckett made it 2-0 when Davis scored on her sacrifice fly. Trista Grobe then capped the first-inning rally with a two-run homer.

Agers added a two-run homer in the bottom of the second inning to make it 6-0, then Puckett hit a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth to make it 12-0.

Just like Agers in the opener, Makenna Moore dominated in the circle, tossing a three-hit shutout while striking out six and walking none.

Puckett drove in five runs in the game, while Agers, Grobe and Natalee Moore each drove in a pair. Rahlmann and Davis had two hits apiece.

Three Rivers wraps up the regular season Thursday with a doubleheader at Jefferson. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.