JUCO softball: No. 19 IHCC bats come to life in Kansas
Mar. 15—IOLA, Ks. — The 19th-ranked Indian Hills softball team returned to the diamond on Tuesday, picking up two run-rule wins in Kansasr. The Warriors defeated Allen County Community College, 13-2, before pulling away late to clinch a 12-4 win over Neosho County scoring six runs in the sixth to secure the sweep.
Indian Hills pounded out 27 total hits on the day to pick up the two non-league wins. Sophomore Destiny Lewis connected on a home run in each contest for her 33rd and 34th career home runs.
Freshman Tatum Aragon and Jensyn Jones each posted four total hits in the two wins. In the opener against Allen County, the Warriors jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first as Lewis delivered a leadoff home run to open the day.
The Warriors tacked on two more in the opening frame, including an RBI single from Jones. Freshman Sara Reid allowed just one baserunner in the opening three innings in the circle as the Warrior offense extended the lead with three more runs in the third on RBI base hits from Jenna Lemley, Sydney Anderson and Eva Fulk.
Lemley added a two-run single in the fourth. Julia Kwakernaak connected on a solo home run, pushing IHCC's lead to 9-0 in the fifth.
Jones delivered a two-run double in the sixth. T.J. Stoaks singled in Abbi Cataldo, capping the scoring for the Warriors.
Lewis, Aragon, Lemley, Jones and Abby Martin each delivered two base hits while Lemley and Jones tallied three RBI apiece. Reid improved to 2-0 in the circle after scattering five hits in 4 1/3 innings of work. Stoaks tossed a scoreless 1 2/3 innings of relief for the Warriors.
Against Neosho County, Lewis put the Warriors on the board in the bottom of the first after scoring on a sacrifice fly from Aragon. The Panthers responded with two runs in the second before the Warriors pushed three runs through in the bottom half of the second on a three-run home run from Lewis.
After a run in the third from Neosho County to pull within one, the Warriors pushed the lead to 6-4 in the fourth on a two-run double from Aragon. Indian Hills closed out the game in dominant fashion with six runs in the sixth, including RBI base knocks from Lewis, Lemley, and a three-run home run from Anderson.
Lewis finished the game 2-3 at the plate with four runs and four RBI. Aragon, Anderson, and Fulk each added two base hits.
Freshman Thea Banning earned her first career win in the circle with 2 2/3 innings of effective relief work. Banning struck out a career-high five batters. Sophomore Ryann Cheek picked up the save.
The Warriors (7-5) return to Johnson County on Sunday for a doubleheader hoping for better results after suffering a pair of losses on Wednesday, mustering just seven hits in 14 innings in a 3-1 loss to Cavaliers and a 2-1 loss to NIACC. On the way back to the Kansas City area, IHCC is scheduled to play in Missouri on Saturday in a doubleheader at State Fair beginning at 2 p.m.
