Triton’s Taytum Hargrave watches her triple fly in the first inning of a 13-2 win over Lakewood Park Christian Monday night in the Triton Softball Sectional semi-finals. (Photos by Mike Deak)

BOURBON – Speed kills. And do does power. With both elements built into an incredibly intelligent ball player, that combination can quickly ruin an opponent’s day.

How about one at bat?

Triton’s Taytum Hargrave tripled to lead off the game, scored a few pitches later on a wild pitch, and later hit an inside-the-park homer as Hargrave and her Trojan teammates crushed Lakewood Park Christian, 13-2, in five innings in the nightcap of the Triton Softball Sectional semi-finals Monday night.

Triton’s Kacie Pugh takes a look after reaching second base against LPC.

Hargrave’s missile to the left field corner in the first was later matched by Nicole Sechrist’s triple to right. Both came in to score, making an already weary LPC squad on edge down 2-0 after an inning. Triton exploded with seven runs in the second, using a two-run single by Heather Stichter, RBI groundouts by Sechrist and Crystal Brown and plenty of plate discipline to overwhelm LPC. Courtney Jennings drew a bases loaded walk and two more runs came home on wild pitches thrown by Mackenzie DeLancey.

Triton drew six walks in the game, had one batter hit and saw DeLancey throw five wild pitches in the game. The control issues were key, as DeLancey had to labor to get into the strike zone, and when she did, batters like Hargrave were locked in.

Hargrave’s smash in the fourth didn’t look like it had home run distance, but kept carrying to the right field corner. As it hit off the top of the 200-foot fence, Hargrave was already motoring around second. As the relay throw came home, Hargrave had long since blown past third and avoided the tag at the plate, adding electricity to an already shocking outcome.

“I knew that I needed to work on my approach and stop slapping at bad pitches,” Hargrave said of her final at-bat. “The pitches before were high, and then I got my pitch. I followed through on it and got it into the outfield. From there, I wasn’t going to stop until I was home.”

Courtney Jennings got the win in the circle for Triton.

LPC (2-21), which had beaten Triton 9-0 the last time the two teams met during LPC’s state championship run in 2013, managed just five hits and really only pushed Triton on two occasions. The fourth inning had LPC score its first run and had two runners on when Jennings got a strikeout to end the threat. The fifth had LPC plate another run, but up 11 runs, Jennings settled down and got out of the minor mess.

Jennings struck out four and walked two in the five innings.

The Trojans (15-11) live another day, playing in its fourth straight sectional championship game and looking for its fourth straight title Tuesday night at 6 p.m. against Bethany Christian.

“Hargrave is the straw that stirs our drink,” proclaimed Triton head coach Steve McBride. “She gets us in position on offense. She is just an outstanding player and is a leader. When you can get a run on the board right away, that lets the big bats coming up just add more to it.

“We showed a lot of patience tonight at the plate, and when a pitcher is struggling to throw strikes, that makes it that much tougher on her,” continued McBride. “Credit our kids for good at-bats and being aggressive.”

In game one, Bethany Christian and Elkhart Christian Academy both had their offensive moments of glory, but Bethany stitched together more spurts in a 24-12 final in six innings.

Isabel Rondo hit a walk-off grand slam for the Bruins (2-15), part of her three-hit day. Kassy Miller had three hits and a walk, scoring four runs and Emma Bontrager had three hits and three runs scored.

Rachel Hilty had a grand slam for ECA (2-15) while Skylar Biddle and Bethany McKibbon both had two hits and two runs scored.

Bethany Christian hasn’t won a sectional title since 1999.

Triton first baseman Megan Berger applies the tag on LPC’s Allison Knox.