Bellevue, WA - Trojan softball launched the 2023 campaign over the weekend down in Bellevue with two games on Saturday, the first against NWAC power Lower Columbia, and the second against another southern region opponent, Chemeketa CC.  Everett last faced the Red Devils last season early in the year and split a two game series, winning 7-0 and losing 13-1.  Both teams brought back talented sophomores in 2023, though experience favored EvCC with 7 sophomores in the opening day lineup.  LCC got a run on the board in the first inning with a solo home run, but Everett jumped right back with two of their own in the bottom half.  Starting pitcher Serina Penrod settled in and threw a nice complete 7-inning game, ending with 6 strikeouts, no walks, and giving up 3 earned runs on just 4 hits.   That bats were working, but it was the combined 8 drawn walks (3 from Jordyn Lono) that helped the Trojans compile enough runs to earn the 7-3 win.  Leiloa Bustamante scored two runs on two hits, and Ivane Aholelei clobbered a solo homerun, and also drove in two others.  Kayla Tuaoa had a great day playing shortstop and also got a big two-run double.

The Everett bats really came alive in the second game of the day, combining for 14 hits and 11 runs scored to get the best of Chemeketa 11-2 in 5 innings.  Freshman pitcher Morgan Epperson showed well in her first college career game, giving up 2 earned runs on 4 hits and striking out 2 batters. Leiloa Bustamante had a pair of hits for 2 RBI's, Avery Olson knocked in 3 runners on one hit, and Savanna Ah Mook Sang-Frank had her first college career, three hit ball game, with two doubles and a triple.  

The snow on Sunday cancelled games to rematch both of these schools, so the Trojans will have to look ahead to next weekend for their first home games, scheduled to face Clackamas CC and SW Oregon CC