Pitching fuels Lady Raiders’ three wins

The Three Rivers College softball team won three of its four games this weekend and improved to 24-16 on the season, thanks in part to a rally and some strong pitching.

The Lady Raiders swept a doubleheader Saturday with State Fair at J.D. Rains Field, taking the opener 7-4 and the nightcap 6-3, before splitting a twin bill at St. Charles on Sunday. TRC dropped the opener 3-1, but won the second game 1-0.

In Saturday’s opener, Three Rivers overcame a 4-2 deficit with a three-run rally in the bottom of the fourth inning to take the lead, then tacked on two insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Abi Jorgensen scored on a one-out error in the fourth to cut the State Fair lead to 4-3, then Clara Rahlmann scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. Josie Bezzole then hit a solo homer to put TRC in the lead.

Natalie Wilks led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a solo homer to put the Lady Raiders ahead 6-4, then Jorgensen scored on an Emily Graves base hit to cap that rally.

Emma Crabb was masterful in the circle, striking out 12 while allowing five hits, two walks and three earned runs in a complete-game victory.

Bezzole, Lexi Davis and Gracie Wright each had a pair of hits, while Alyssa Bastien added a solo homer.

In the nightcap, Three Rivers scored three times in the bottom of the first inning and never trailed again, with a go-ahead two-run homer by Camryn Casey being the big blow.

Davis had two hits and drove in three runs in the contest.

Elly Eckrich started and went four innings for the win, with Crabb tossing the last three innings for the long save, striking out seven of the 13 batters she faced.

In Sunday’s opener, TRC lost despite a strong outing from Crabb, who allowed three hits and no earned runs in six innings of work while striking out 10. Davis drove in Three Rivers’ only run with a solo homer in the top of the sixth inning.

Wilks and Crabb combined on a four-hit shutout in Sunday’s nightcap, striking out 11 batters between them. The Lady Raiders scored the game’s lone run in the top of the sixth inning when Bastien singled home Davis.

Three Rivers is back in action Tuesday when it heads to Metropolitian for a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.