Triton Central softball overpowers Hagerstown in regional championship

A trio of home runs propelled Triton Central softball to its second regional championship in the last three seasons.

Freshman Ashlyn Hittle blasted a two-run home run in the second inning and Madi Peterson and Brylie Couch added solo home runs in a 5-2 victory Tuesday over Class 2A, No. 7 Hagerstown.

Couch, a Trine commit, allowed a run in the top of the first then did not allow a hit until the fifth inning to keep Hagerstown (20-3) in check. The senior scattered seven hits and one walk while striking out 11 to improve Triton Central to 23-2.

Triton Central will travel to the Forest Park Semistate Saturday to face Salem (15-8) in the second semifinal contest. In the semistate opener at 11 a.m., No. 1 Tecumseh (28-2) takes on Monrovia (10-9).

The semistate championship game is set for Saturday at 7 p.m.

Hagerstown got a run-scoring single from Layla Cool in the first inning to take an early lead.

Triton Central responded with three extra-base hits in the second inning off Hagerstown starter Rylan Young. Lillie Fillippinie had a leadoff double and scored on Hittle’s home run – her ninth of the season. Two batters later, Peterson added a solo home run – her first of the year.

Couch matched Hittle’s home run total with a solo shot in the third for a 4-1 lead.

In the circle, Couch worked around an error and a walk in the fourth inning and two singles in the fifth that led to a run. She surrendered two more singles in the sixth and struck out three of the four batters she faced in the seventh to end the game.

Hittle added an insurance run in the sixth when she drove in Kimiko Keith, who was running for Couch who had a leadoff double.

Young, who pitched 133 of her team’s 139.2 innings this season, took the loss, allowing six hits and one walk while striking out nine.

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