HTC's win over Danville sets record

WEST POINT — Cupcakes were waiting for Holy Trinity’s softball team after Wednesday’s 8-1 win over Danville at South Park.
The treats were for Emma Menke’s 16th birthday, but there was a lot for the Crusaders to celebrate — and there could be a lot more.
The Crusaders (21-5 overall, 7-4 Southeast Iowa Super Conference South Division) set a new program single-season record for wins on a day when they moved into the IGHSAU rankings for the first time, coming in at 15th in Class 1A.
The win also set them up with a chance to share the division title if they can defeat West Burlington-Notre Dame at home Thursday night.
“That would be huge,” coach Loren Menke said. “You always want to win your conference, and for us to do it in this division, which is really tough, it would mean a lot. Every team in this conference is tough. So to have a chance to get a share of the conference title tomorrow night is big.”
Getting into the rankings was also important, Menke said.
“It's a sign of respect,” Menke said. “We feel like we've been disrespected from the ranking standpoint all year. We keep looking, and we're like, ‘Why aren't we there? We're beating some of these teams (in the rankings), we're as good as some of these teams, why aren't we there?’ So to finally be there feels good.”

It’s been a busy week for Holy Trinity, which had a win over Central Lee on Monday and a home win over WACO on Tuesday. The hot temperatures got to some of the players on Tuesday night, but they were feeling better for this game, Menke said, and it showed late.
Holy Trinity scored three runs in the third inning, one in the fifth, and then four in the sixth.
“We’ve played Danville three times, kind of,” Menke said. “We got rained out in a game in a tournament with them, and we were tied late, and we were having the same thing that game, we just were not getting the runners in, so it felt good to break through a little bit and get the runners in tonight.”
Kenna Gittings’ triple brought in two runs in the third inning, then she scored on an error.
Sydney Jarvis put the Crusaders up 4-1 in the fifth with an RBI single that scored Alivia Holmes.
Morgan Krogmeier’s double drove in two runs in the sixth. Ellie Hellman followed with a run-scoring single, then Alivia Holmes’ sacrifice fly provided the final margin.
The Crusaders had 11 hits. Cadyn Holmes was 3 for 3, and Hellman had two hits. Seven of the eight hitters scored at least one run.
“We were getting something from everyone tonight.”