That’s a disadvantage that any team would have a hard time overcoming, yet throughout the tournament on Friday the Tigers never backed down and never gave up.

They were eliminated with an 11-3 loss to Indian Hills in the tournament opener and a 4-3 loss to Southeastern Community College in the first consolation round, but Tiger head coach Dominic Ellis said his girls played some of their best softball of the season.

“Man, they fought as hard as they could,” Ellis said. “We played our best ball at the end of the year when you want to, they should hold their heads high. There’s nothing to be ashamed of whatsoever. Those are two tough teams we played today.”

The consolation game was the biggest heartbreaker, but it was also the most grit MCC (11-32) showed. After a big first inning where they scored three runs thanks to a leadoff home run by Saydee Terrell and RBIs by Aliya Scott and Kylie Swan, the Tigers held on until the bottom of the seventh, where they had a 3-2 lead and needed just one out to advance to the second day of competition.

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON - Marshalltown Community College freshman Nell Skeath (7) skies to rob a two-run home run from Southeastern Community College freshman Kamryn Bailey during the second inning of the Tigers’ 4-3 loss to the Blackhawks in the first consolation game of the NJCAA Division I Region XI tournament in Marshalltown on Friday.

That final out would never come, as Blackhawk sophomore Ashley Rosado hit a two-out home run to tie the game at 3-3, then with the bases loaded freshman Kamryn Bailey hit a walk-off single to bring home Chayse Lowney and end the game.

Ellis said that was a tough way to bring the season to an end, but considering Southeastern had scored an average of 17 runs in the first four meetings between the two teams, he couldn’t fault his teams’ effort.

“We needed to put more runs up and we knew that. It was the little things that I’ve preached all year long, do the little things,” he said. “We played a clean game, I don’t believe we had an error in that game, and that’s what we can do. When we play like that and play clean, that’s what we can do. That was a great game, it wasn’t won or lost on an error, they earned it and that’s all I ask every time that we come out.”

The toughness of the team came out in the elimination game as well, particularly from sophomore Kylie Swan. Swan hurt her knee in the bottom of the fourth inning while the Tigers were up 3-1, and had she needed to come out it would have left MCC with only eight players.

Swan had to be helped off but did return to the game, even recording a hit later, and Ellis said he believes anyone on the roster would have done the same.

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON

“She’s a tough kid, and that’s just a microcosm of the team. They are tough, they’re resilient, they do anything that we ask them to do,” he said. “Kylie has got guts like no other, she’s a tough kid from the West Coast. If I had a bunch of Kylies we would be in good shape.”

Terrell, who also played in her final game as a Tiger on Friday afternoon, said given everything the team has been through this year she was happy with how they competed until their final breath.

“I think it just shows we all have the heart to play this game,” Terrell said. “Not giving up, whether it’s a painful situation or not, because having just the nine players we have pushed through this whole season. We have players who have been stepping up in different positions, I couldn’t ask for anything more from anyone on this team. That’s what being Tigers is about.”

Game one was also a close affair until the final two innings. MCC scored in the top of the first and held that advantage until a two-run home run by Indian Hills freshman Chloe Olson put the Warriors up 2-1 in the third.

The Tigers struck back immediately in the top of the fourth with a two-run homer of their own by Scott to take a 3-2 lead, but Indian Hills freshman and former West Marshall athlete Brooke Snider was ready to end the game.

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON

Snider hit a two-run blast in the bottom of the fourth as part of a four-run outburst by the Warriors, then after Indian Hills had taken a 9-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth Snider walked it off with another two-run homer.

“In that Indian Hills game we couldn’t stay out of that big inning, but other than that it was just unbelievable,” Ellis said. “I am so proud of them, I don’t even know what to say.”

Terrell also said she was incredibly proud of how her team ended its season.

“I honestly thought that we actually came out and played,” she said. “We wanted to get the wins but, win or lose, we are a team and we showed it today. All of us put everything we had on that field and I am not disappointed one bit by how we played at all.”

Ashley Tennant took the loss in both games after allowing eight hits and 11 runs while striking out one and walking three against Indian Hills and 11 hits and four runs while striking out one and walking three against Southeaster, but Terrell said considering Tennant is listed as a third baseman she did a great job in the circle.

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON

“Both of us hold our composure very well when it comes to pitching,” Terrell, who has also seen time in the circle, said. “Not being pitchers. it’s a very hard thing to step into but she is a great pitcher and I wouldn’t have wanted to end the season in any other way.”

Ellis said the willingness of the girls to play wherever they are needed is just another reason he is going to look back on this season fondly.

“I am just so proud of them, when girls step up and pitch who don’t usually pitch or play positions they’re not used to playing or have ever played before, that’s just part of it,” he said.

Now with his first season at an end, Ellis said it had its ups and downs but the culture and foundation the players, particularly his sophomores, have laid will carry on for years to come.

“Obviously it starts with them and our freshman have to continue with what we do. They have definitely laid the foundation of how we want to play,” he said. “We are going to be tough, we’re going to be gritty, we’re going to be scrappy and they are going to do whatever is asked of them. That’s kind of what we are trying to build here.”

Terrell said she has enjoyed every second of wearing the Tiger uniform and playing for Ellis for even one season was enough for her to know that he will have this program competing at a high level in the near future.

“I really believe that this foundation at this school, with the issues that happened with players quitting and getting injured, no matter what he never gave up on us,” she said. “I couldn’t ask for more as a coach, to just be confident and believe in us. He left everything he had on that field and so did we.”

NJCAA Division I Region XI Softball Tournament

At Marshalltown Community College

Friday, May 3

Indian Hills 11, Marshalltown CC 3

Iowa Western 8, Southeastern 3

Southeastern 4, Marshalltown CC 3, MCC eliminated

Indian Hills 1, Iowa Western 0

Saturday, May 4

Game 5 — Southeastern vs. Iowa Western, 11 a.m.

Game 6 — Indian Hills vs. Game 5 winner, 1 p.m.

Sunday, May 5

Game 7 — Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 11 a.m. (if necessary)

——

Indian Hills CC 11, Marshalltown CC 3

MCC 100 20 — 3 5 4

IHCC 002 45 — 11 8 0

Ashley Tennant and Saydee Terrell; Nina Hendricks, Alexis Groet (5) and Alexis Westercamp. W–Hendricks. L–Tennant. HR–MCC: Aliyah Scott; IHCC: Snider 2, Chloe Olson, Jordan Hollon.

Southeastern CC 4, Marshalltown CC 3

MCC 300 000 0 — 3 5 1

SECC 100 000 3 — 4 11 2

Tennant and Terrell; Ashley Rosado, Kalyne Powell (2) and Sadie Smithburg. W–Powell. L–Tennant. 2B–MCC: Scott; SECC: Izzy Collins, Chayse Lowney. HR–MCC: Terrell; SECC: Rosado.

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