Hillsboro ended its regular season Tuesday, May 12, with a pair of losses at Haven. The Trojans dropped the first game 11-4, and the second one 8-5.
With the two defeats, the Trojans are 10-10 heading into post-season play while Haven improved to 14-2.
In Game 1, Hillsboro jumped to a 2-0 lead in its first at-bat on a single by Courtney Weber combined with a pair of Wildcat errors. But Haven came right back with three runs in the bottom of the first with a pair of hits and a pair of Trojan errors.
Haven took charge with a three-run third inning and four-run fourth inning as the Wildcats touched Weber for seven hits and two walks in combination with two team errors.
Haven scored its final run in the fifth inning for an 11-2 lead. The Trojans scored twice in their final at-bat with Weber and Gottsch stroking back-to-back run-scoring singles.
Weber struck out six Wildcats but allowed 10 hits as her record dropped to 5-3. Weber and Gottsch each had two hits to lead the Trojans? six-hit effort.
In Game 2, the Trojans carried a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning. In the first inning, Taylor Nikkel led off with a single, Gottsch tripled with one out and Steph Sanders singled. In the second, Bri Loewen singled and scored on a single by Krista Reimer.
But Haven erupted for five runs in the fourth against Gottsch, using four hits and two errors to take a 6-3 lead.
Hillsboro got one run back in its next at-bat when Gottsch doubled to drive in Nikkel, who had reached base on an error.
Haven pushed the lead to 8-4 with two runs in the bottom of the sixth on a walk and pair of triples.
The Trojans responded with a run in the seventh on lead-off singles by Reimer and Candace Ediger. Reimer then scored on an error.
That put two runners on base with nobody out, but Weber and Gottsch struck out and Sanders grounded out to end the game.
Gottsch (5-7) absorbed the loss, giving up nine hits and a walk while striking out three. At the plate, she contributed three of Hillsboro?s nine hits, including a triple and double.
