Community R-6 is only five games deep into the softball season but knows how to win.

The Lady Trojans finished third in the Montgomery County tournament over the weekend but trailed Central Activities Conference foe Glasgow 5-0 after two innings at home. They came back to win 8-7 after Alexis Schafer was hit by a pitch to force home the winning run. 

While Community (4-1) cut into Glasgow’s lead 5-4 in the third inning on RBI hits by Schafer and Emma Morgan, the conference rival who beat the Lady Trojans last year after scoring 11 runs took a 7-4 lead in the fifth inning. The Lady Trojans allowed four unearned runs on three errors, so head coach Jeff Angel and the other coaches delivered a message in the middle of the fifth.

Community R-6 vs Glasgow Photo Gallery

“We’ve got to get better on the will to win,” Angel said. “Somebody has to take charge and get a spark somewhere. I don’t care who it is.”

Angel hoped Community would continue chipping away in the three innings they had left to hit. The Lady Trojans tied the game in that same inning after Natali Sommer, who went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, brought home two runs with a single, and Kaytlynn Arens bunted to allow Macy Woodside to tie the game.

“When he said that, it really spoke to me because we had zero energy in the dugout,” Sommer said. “Everyone seemed dead. You just have to pick up your team and keep going because, if you don’t, it could’ve ended a lot worse.”

The bunt by Arens wasn’t the only successful bunt by the Lady Trojans. In that same inning, Woodside bunted her way on before scoring the tying run, and Angel said Lydia Hoyt laid down key bunts for hits in the Montgomery County tournament. He said this has been the case so far this season just like he wanted for his speedy team.

“We’re getting really better than last year on bunts,” Angel said. “We have executed the bunt awesomely. I’m really happy about the small game.”

Sommer laid down a bunt to become Community’s first baserunner in the seventh inning. From the No. 9 hole, Sommer is called upon to use her speed to reach base, and she said Angel has encouraged her since last year to improve her bunting.

“My bunting has gotten a lot better,” Sommer said. “I did not get it down more times than I didn’t. This year, I have been successful more times than not.”

Angel said Community found a way to win Monday’s home opener after having a good first four games. Three of those were played in the Montgomery County tournament, including a 12-2 win against St. Clair and 16-6 win over Jamestown and a 4-1 loss to the champion Montgomery County.

Myla Carroll, who went 2-for-3 against Glasgow, pitched well, according to Angel. Offensively, Morgan and Ana McLeod had key hits along with Maci Poindexter, who finished with about a handful of hits over the weekend. Morgan followed her weekend with a 2-for-4 game against Glasgow with two RBIs. 

“A lot of people worked hard in the offseason in getting better at the stuff we needed to last year and the stuff that we struggled with,” Angel said. “It’s showing up early.”

Community plays at Hermann with New Haven at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. 

“The team atmosphere is a lot better,” Sommer said. “Our small game is getting better, our baserunning is a lot cleaner and it seems like we’re putting the ball in play a lot more. We’re lifting each other up.”