OTTUMWA, IA – Lindsay Diehl took one look at the weather forecast and called an audible.

Originally scheduled to take her team south to Arkansas for six games this weekend, the veteran softball coach decided rather than to battle a major storm in the southern plains, that she’d rather bump up her squad’s home opener and invite some teams to Ottumwa instead.

The result was Johnson County (MO) visiting the City of Bridges for a doubleheader on Friday and the last-minute plan fell together.

All Diehl needed then was a pair of home-opening victories and the scheme would be a total success.

Fortunately for the third-year Warrior coach, her players obliged handing the visiting Cavaliers a pair of defeats Friday afternoon at Hellyer Field, 7-2 and 9-6.

“I’m happy with how today went,” Diehl said.  “It was fun to get to play at home and the first thing I told the kids is that we’ve been on a rollercoaster ride of how we’re approaching games, and when we start getting ready for a game we haven’t been showing up in the first inning.  Things started inside today where I love their energy, and they had a new uniform, and it’s the first home game… you get a little bit more excited for that.  Now we have to make sure that we do that every day.”

After surrendering a run in the top of the first inning, the Warriors apparently took Diehl’s instruction to heart as IHCC evened it up at 1-1 in the bottom half of the frame, and then added three more runs in each of the next two innings to open up a commanding 7-1 advantage.  The big blow came with two outs in the third as Chloe Olson belted a double to the fence in right center to plate three Warriors with one stroke.

“Chloe is one of those kids and I want her up all the time,” Diehl said. “I mean, she's a veteran, I mean she's in year three with me, and she’s been a great leader for us verbally in the dugout doing all kinds of stuff at practices, and then being able to do that and show up in the batter's box and get a big hit when we need it.”

Freshman hurler Malarie Huseman (3-1) made the lead stand up going the distance in the circle for her third win.  After giving up an unearned run in the opening inning, Huseman settled in and struck out seven, walked two and only gave up a homerun to Kaylin Watkins to open the seventh the rest of the way.

“Malarie did a great job. After games, she has been over reflecting about what she needs to do,” Diehl explained. “She is learning to not overdo things and stay within herself.  I watched her kind of find herself a little bit out there on the mound today, and she did a great job for us.”

Kyla Etter (took the loss for Johnson County, going 2 2/3 innings, giving up seven runs, three earned on three walks and a strikeout.

Nicole Bellis continued to swing a hot bat to start this season going 3-for-3 with a double.  Bryanna Mehaffy was 3-for-4 with a double and three runs scored.

“I love watching her play the game,” Diehl said of Mehaffy.  “She's very smart, and I get the opportunity to have a front row seat of watching her constantly looking, and reading the defense, and seeing what they're giving her, and I love just letting her go.  I tell her, just do your thing, Bry, and she does.  She's a solid shortstop and she's a tiny little quiet package.”

Olson ended up with a pair of hits including the homerun and four RBI, while Anna Voigt added two singles and a run scored.  Gretta Hartz, Hannah Portinga, Peyton Moffet, and Kennedy Preston all added singles to the Warriors 14-hit total.

The Warriors used a similar approach in the nightcap as IHCC pounced on the visitors with a five-spot in the first inning.  Hartz set the tone with a leadoff homerun, one of seven hits in the opening frame alone. 

IHCC would surrender a run in the second inning and two more in the top of the fourth as Johnson County clawed back to within 5-3, but the Warriors would answer with four more in the bottom of the fourth to go up 9-3.  The hosts ripped two homers in the fourth, one coming from Bellis and another from Hannah Portinga.

The six-run margin allowed Diehl to rest starter C.J. Banner, and use her bullpen with Alexis Watson pitching the fifth and sixth, allowing no hits on three strikeouts and one walk. 

Margot van Ejil came on in the seventh ran into some trouble as the Cavaliers tried to make a game of it scoring three on a pair of round-trippers to get to within 9-6 before the Warriors ended the threat on a nifty double play and fly ball to right.

“I just felt like Margot was putting some pressure on herself, instead of staying relaxed I went out there and I could tell that she had sped the game up in her head.  Her breathing was a little bit heavier and I just told her to trust her defense and our kids made that double play for her got her out of there. It's good to put kids in those moments and see what they can do because we're going to need all four arms and, we’re going to have to be able to work through tough times.”

Banner (3-1) earned her third win over her four innings that included allowing three runs on five strikeouts, one walk and two hit batters.  A.J. Elleman (2-1) suffered the loss in just 1/3 innings of work to start the game.  Elleman gave up seven hits, five runs, all earned.

The Warriors (6-2) have a busy afternoon ahead on Saturday as Diehl invited State Fair (MO) and Ellsworth to join IHCC and Johnson County (4-4) for an impromptu softball classic at Hellyer Field.  Indian Hills will play at 1:15 against Johnson County and then wrap up their weekend at 5:45 against Ellsworth.  State Fair will open things up at 11 a.m. against Johnson County and then Ellsworth will battle State Fair at 3:30 p.m.

GAME ONE

Johnson County           100 000 1 – 2  4  5

Indian Hills                  133 000 x -  7  14 1

WP – Malarie Huseman (3-1), LP – Kyla Etter (2-1)

GAME TWO
Johnson County           010 200 3 – 6  9  1

Indian Hills                   500 400 x – 9 12  1

W – C.J. Banner (3-1), LP – A.J. Elleman (2-1)