SEDALIA, MO – No. 9-rated Indian Hills battled blustery conditions Wednesday to come away with a split with host State Fair, dropping the opener 7-4 before rebounding in game two, 5-3.
The Warriors could not overcome a disastrous first inning in game one that saw the Roadrunners send 11 batters to the plate, scoring seven runs on just three hits. Four walks and a pair of outfield errors fueled the State Fair outburst, and IHCC had an uphill battle to fight the remainder of the contest.
Maddy Findley got the Warriors on the board in the fourth with an RBI-double to score Bryanna Mehaffy and IHCC would cut the deficit to 7-3 the following inning as Gracie Jevyak added a two RBI-single to plate Gretta Hartz and Nicole Bellis.
IHCC would inch closer in the sixth as Hartz knocked in pinch runner Eryn Ackerman to make it 7-4, but the Warriors would get no closer as State Fair worked around a pair of IHCC hits in the seventh to escape with the win.
“Yesterday was a perfect day for kids to learn more about our circle of control,” said Indian Hills Head Coach Lindsay Diehl. “It was not ideal playing conditions, the wind was blowing in about thirty miles an hour and the outfield was rough, but those are things we cannot control. We spend way too much time focusing on our outcomes and not the process of playing the game one pitch at a time right now. I am confident we will get there.”
C.J. Banner took the loss in the circle in the opener as her record fell to 2-1 on the season. After the control issues in the opening inning, Banner only surrendered two hits while striking out six and walking none the rest of the contest. Aleah Paxton collected the win for State Fair going 5 1/3 innings allowing seven hits, four runs, three earned on one strikeout and four walks. Tabitha Imhoff picked up the save over the final 1 2/3 innings.
“We have to get better at showing up in warm ups and being mentally ready for game one. Right now we aren’t doing that,” Diehl added
Game two was a see-saw affair that took an extra frame to decide it, but it was more to Diehl’s liking as the Warriors salvaged the split.
“I was happy with the girls coming back in game two and battling,” Diehl said.
IHCC jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the nightcap as sophomore Chloe Olson tagged her second homer of the season. The round tripper moved her into a three-way tie for seventh place all-time in career IHCC home runs with 26 (Macey Harrington 2018-20, Ashley Jay 2003-05).
The Roadrunners drew even in the fourth, but the Warriors set themselves up for the win two innings later on Breanna Newton’s sacrifice fly to center to make it 3-2 heading to the seventh.
The lead didn’t hold up, however, as SFCC forced extras on a solo homer with IHCC just one out from victory. The Warriors answered the call in the eighth on back-to-back sacrifices by Peyton Moffet and Newton. Kennedy Preston had doubled to start the frame and Mehaffy singled to set up the go-ahead runs.
IHCC starter Malarie Huseman (2-1) retired the Roadrunners in order in the eighth to earn the complete game victory. Huseman fanned eight and walked four.
The Warriors managed six hits in the victory. Nicole Bellis went 2-for-3 at the plate and was the only IHCC player to collect multiple hits.
“Our kids responded in the eighth after they put us in a ballgame in the seventh,” Diehl said. “Moments like that are going to be big for us in the long run if we let it. I’m going to keep pushing them to show up every day and keep working until we figure it out. It is early and these games are only a vehicle to where we are trying to get in May.”
The spilt moved Indian Hills to 4-2, and State Fair is at 6-4.
The Warriors have juggled their weekend schedule. IHCC has pulled out of the Crowder Bash tournament in Arkansas due to weather, and have scheduled home games at R.L. Hellyer Field instead.
Diehl’s troops will open its home schedule on Friday with a doubleheader against Johnson County beginning at 1 p.m. On Saturday, Indian Hills will play host to three schools in Johnson County, State Fair and Ellsworth. The Warriors will face Johnson County at 1:15 p.m. and Ellsworth at 5:45 p.m. State Fair will play Johnson County at 11 a.m. and then square off with Ellsworth at 3:30 p.m.
GAME ONE
Indian Hills 000 121 0 – 4
State Fair 700 000 0 – 7
WP – Aleah Paxton, LP – C.J. Banner (2-1)
GAME TWO
Indian Hills 002 001 02 – 5
State Fair 000 200 10 – 3
WP – Malarie Huseman (2-1), LP – Sadie Kumm