Trinity Softball Thumps Postseason Rival

The Trinity softball team continues to crank out the hits. 

The Blazers produced 11 hits en route to thumping host Glenbard South 13-8 in a matchup of recent postseason rivals in Glen Ellyn on Wednesday afternoon. 

The teams have met in the Class 3A playoffs in each of the past two seasons. Glenbard South (8-2) beat Trinity (13-1) in the supersectionals in 2009 before the Blazers returned the favor in sectionals in 2010.

Trinity ended the suspense of this one early by rolling seven runs across the plate in the top of the second inning and five more in the third to take a 12-0 lead. Eight of the nine starters hit safely and the other reached on a walk.

“I think we’re one of the best hitting teams in the state,” Trinity coach Bob Osborne said.

Senior first baseman Erin Baldwin went 2 for 3 and knocked in three runs to head the balanced offense for the Blazers.

“We practice hitting a lot,” Baldwin said. “Everybody in our lineup can hit. Everybody on our bench can hit.”

Trinity scored its seven runs on four hits in the second. Abby Ramirez delivered a two-run double while Grace Cortina and Nicole Evans each contributed an RBI single during the big inning. The Blazers also took advantage of two walks, a hit batter and two errors in the frame.

“Defensively, it looked like we hadn’t played a game in a week, and we haven’t played a game in a week,” Glenbard South coach Julie Fonda said.

After sending 11 batters to the plate in the second, the Blazers batted around the order in the third. Michaela Williams and Baldwin each cracked a 2-run single while Gianna Coduti added an RBI single in the inning as the visitors extended their lead to 12-0.

Trinity starter Brittany Bura pitched five innings to earn the victory and improve to 5-0. Reliever Chase Machain allowed a run in two innings of work on the way to recording her first save.

The Raiders rallied for three runs in the third inning and four in the fifth, but never seriously threatened Trinity’s lead.

Since losing to Glenbard South in the 2009 supersectionals, Trinity has won three straight against the Raiders.

“It just felt good to beat ’em again because we knew they were hungry and they wanted to beat us,” Baldwin said.

“I expected like a 5-4 game, but it’s a perfect barometer,” Osborne said. “When we lost to them in the supersectional a couple years ago we always said that’s the program we want to be. They play hard. They play the right way. We have a lot of respect for each other.”

The teams won’t meet again in the playoffs this season. That’s because Trinity has moved into Class 4A. Fonda wasn’t exactly disappointed to see that.

“I kind of threw a party when I saw ’em in 4A,” she said. “They’re a great team.”