South Tama’s Ashleigh Finch (15) scores safely on a wild pitch as North Tama pitcher Izzy Hallett (4) prepares to receive the throw back to home plate from catcher Jamie Jacobs during the second game of Tuesday’s softball doubleheader in Tama.

Ellenbecker was on the mound again for the second game of the night against the visiting Redhawks. Going the distance once again, she finished off the Redhawks in 78 pitches and struck out seven batters. She went without a walk, but gave up six hits. North Tama (0-13) was consistently able to get the bat on the ball — but when the Redhawks got runners on base, they were unable to gather enough momentum to get runs across the plate. The closest the Redhawks got was in the top of the first, when North Tama had runners on second and third with one out. The Trojans got out of the inning without any damage.

North Tama coach Patty Calderwood was proud of how the team played and made contact at the plate.

“I think my girls did a really good job of facing [Ellenbecker] tonight,” Calderwood said. “We were putting the bat on the ball, we had runners on bases on a regular basis and we were making great defensive plays as well.”

The Trojans were up 2-0 after two innings, but a breakout five-run third inning set them on the path to ending the game early. STC only recorded six hits — two from Millie Mathes-Henle (two RBIs) and one each from Laurel Upah (two runs), Ellenbecker, Macie Mathes-Henle and Arro Lyons. Gwen Upah drove in two runs without recording a hit. The Trojans reached base via walk six times.

The evening was a big success for the Trojans — and a much needed confidence boost, Ahrens said.

“I think it’s really good,” Ahrens said. “We can get down on ourselves sometimes, you know, we play some tough teams and maybe we only bat one time, maybe we get beat in three innings. It’s like, ‘Well geez, we don’t really get to see live hitting.’ So it’s nice to have games like this where we get to bat three or four times.”

South Tama 10, North Tama 0, 5 innings