For the first time ever, the Trinity softball team is advancing out of the 12th District tournament.
They needed a walk-off hit by Nina Wathen that scored Katherine Hibbitt to seal the deal, but the No. 2 seed Lady Raiders (14-14) came out with a 5-4 victory over No. 3 seed Edmonson County (9-15) on Tuesday night.
Trinity joined the district in 2006 but had never won a game in the postseason since the move. The Lady Raiders most recently won in the postseason in 2003 as members of the 11th District.
Now, Trinity will have a chance to win the whole 12th District tournament Wednesday when they play host and No. 4 seed Grayson County, who upset No. 1 seed Butler County in the first round. The Lady Raiders won 12-7 and 20-7 to sweep the regular season meetings.
Trinity is also guaranteed a spot in next week’s 3rd Region Tournament at Hancock County.
The Lady Raiders fell behind 1-0 against Edmonson County, but Hibbitt scored on a hit by Georgia Howard to tie the game in the fourth inning. Avery Barnett scored on an error later in the frame for a 2-1 Trinity lead.
The Lady Raiders added two more in the fifth on another pair of errors, but the Lady Cats plated three runs in the sixth frame to even the game at 4-4. Hibbitt led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk then scored from first on the hit by Wathen.
Wathen also earned the win, pitching the complete game. She allowed two earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts.
ECHS 010-003-0—4-7-6
THS 000-220-1—5-6-5
WP: Wathen. LP: Slaughters. 2B: Waldrop (EC), Hibbitt, Wathen (T).
