Softball: Mendota rallies for 10 runs in 6th, tops Princeton

MENDOTA - From the Mendota Trojans’ perspective it was a great inning. From Princeton’s view, it was anything but great.

The Trojans scored 10 runs on in the bottom of the sixth inning on five hits, five errors, two walks and a hit by pitch to rally for a 17-12 win in Three Rivers East softball play Tuesday.

“What a crazy day. It was a nice win. It was senior night and our girls just kept battling,” Mendota coach Joel Perez said. “Ava Eddy did a good job on not so easy day to pitch. We got some timely hitting and some good plays on defense. We needed a win.”

Madelyn Becker put the Trojans ahead for good at 10-9 with a two-run double to right, scoring Ava Eddy and Emma Schultz. Rylee Sondgeroth scored on a wild pitch to make it 11-9.

Katie Jenner added a RBI single and scored on the back end of a double steal as the Trojans went on to score 10 times in the inning.

Princeton, which scored three runs in their first at-bats, pushed across another trifecta in the top of the seventh, but it wasn’t near enough.

It was a stunning loss for the Tigresses after leading for most of the game.

“We were in the driver’s seat, then we beat ourselves with errors,” PHS coach Jhavon Hayes said. “We hit (in the seventh), but we couldn’t dig ourselves out of the hole.”

Princeton outhit Mendota, 16-13, but committed multiple errors.

Isa Ibarra came up big all day for Princeton.

The senior left fielder had a RBI hit to extend Princeton’s lead to 4-0 in the third.

Ibarra dialed long distance for an opposite field, three-run blast to give Princeton a 7-4 lead in the fourth.

Ibarra went 4 for 5 on the day, including two doubles and drove in seven runs.

“Isa is extremely solid for us. With the way the wind was blowing, it was great to see her finally get one out,” Hayes said.

Kelsea Klingenberg and Sylvie Rutledge (double, triple, 3 RBIs) also had four hits and Makayla Hecht added two hits each with a RBI.

Schultz (3 RBIs), Becker (4 RBIs), Jenner (2 RBIs) and Sondgeroth (2 RBIs) each had two hits for Mendota.

Eddy earned the win in the circle, allowing 12 runs (6 earned) with four strikeouts.

Mendota Seniors recognized on Senior Night were Zoe Hanson, Gracie Zinke, Schultz and Jenner.