OTTUMWA, IA – It was a case of déjà vu for No. 15-ranked Indian Hills Friday afternoon at R.L. Hellyer Field as after a quick 9-1, five inning triumph over visiting Ellsworth, the Warriors rolled to another five-inning win in game two by the count of… you guessed it, 9-1.

The wins sent IHCC to 25-7 overall and 17-5 in the ICCAC while Ellsworth fell to 12-14 and 9-10.

"Today was such a fun day at the ballpark. We showed up and every kid was all in, every pitch. We were loud on the field, we were loud in the dugout, and we played together as a team," said IHCC Head Coach Lindsay Diehl. "Regardless of the outcome, those are really important things I want to see from Indian Hills Softball."

Freshman Kennedy Preston sparked the Warrior offense in game one.  The Carlisle product was responsible for driving in five of the nine IHCC runs.  Preston didn't waste any time in getting the Warriors on the board as the freshman backstop belted a three-run bomb to left in the bottom of the first to plate Peyton Moffet and Chloe Olson, and before the fans at Hellyer Field could get settled in, it was already 3-0 in favor of the hosts.

Gretta Hartz would make it 4-0 in the third by driving in Olson, who had doubled earlier in the inning.

Ellsworth would notch their only run of the contest in the top of the fourth frame as Ally Sparks led off the inning with a round-tripper to left off IHCC starter Malarie Huseman to cut the Warrior lead to 4-1.

IHCC wouldn't let the Panthers gain any momentum, however, as the Warriors were incessant in the bottom half of the frame with six singles coming from Anna Voigt, Moffet, Bryanna Mehaffy, Preston, Breanna Newton and Kaylee Bix plated five more tallies to make it 9-1 heading to the fifth.

"Our hitters showed up today and we were back to putting bigger numbers on the board," Diehl added. "It's important that we're making adjustments at the plate all the way through the lineup."

The Panthers were unable to muster any response in the fifth and the run rule was enacted, handing the Warriors the first of two 9-1 victories.

Moffet, Olson, Preston, and Newton all had two hits for IHCC to pace the hosts' 12-hit attack.

Huseman (12-5) tossed all five innings on three strikeouts and three walks.  Sparks' dinger in the fourth was the only hit Huseman surrendered.

"We spent the last couple days talking about what the word, 'mudita' means. And it means to have just as much joy and happiness for someone else's success, as if it was your own," Diehl explained. "I saw the kids doing that today, celebrating their teammates. When we get to that point consistently, this group is really going to take off."

Game two was nearly a carbon copy of the first edition as IHCC exploded for six runs in the fourth to turn a 3-1 contest into a 9-1 lead and ECC was unable to answer in the fifth and the mercy rule was enacted just like it was in the opener.

Ellsworth would snare a brief 1-0 lead in the nightcap with a single tally in the top of the second, but IHCC sophomore Chloe Olson would make sure it wouldn't stand up with a quick answer to lead off the bottom of the second with her ninth homer of the season to center to knot it up at 1-1.

Newton blasted a homerun of her own two batters later to make it 3-1, but that's all IHCC would get before the burst in the fourth.

Bix continued her recent tear to lead off the fourth with a solo shot to left to push the Warrior advantage to 4-1, but IHCC was far from being done at the plate.  A Moffet double, a Mehaffy single and a free pass issued to Bellis loaded the bags.  They were quickly unloaded as a wild pitch scored Moffet and then Olson deposited a two-RBI double to center to make it 7-1.

A Panther error prolonged their misery in the fourth, and the Warriors took advantage as Olson scored on the play, and Preston would eventually come around after the miscue on a Hartz double to bring it to 9-1, IHCC.

Olson's efforts this week have put the Ankeny product in third place all-time in IHCC history in career homeruns with a total of 33 round-trippers.  The Warrior first baseman passed Tara McClure and Kacey Duffield (31 each) on the homerun leaderboard, and now only trails Breon Michel's 35, and former teammate Brooke Snider's 36 with half a season remaining.

Olson led the Warriors seven-hit attack going 2-for-2 with a double, homer, three RBI and two runs scored. Moffet, Mehaffy, Newton, Hartz and Bix all added a hit each as Hartz and Moffet doubled and Bix and Newton homered.

Margot van Eijl moved to 9-0 with five innings of work to collect the win.  Van Eijl struck out seven and walked one while allowing just two hits and the single run in the second frame, which was unearned.

"Mal and Margot both spun it well today and kids played solid defense behind them," Diehl said. "This group is starting to figure it out and we are moving in the right direction. It felt good being back to getting a sweep."

With the move of Saturday's games to Friday, the Warriors will now take Saturday off and will return to R.L. Field on Sunday to complete the four-game set with Ellsworth.  First pitch on Sunday is 11 a.m.

GAME ONE

Ellsworth     000 10 –  1  1   1

Indian Hills 301  5x – 9 12  1

Malarie Huseman and Kennedy Preston.  Delaney Vetter, Ally Sparks (4) and Mya Mathes.

W- Huseman (12-5). L – Vetter.

E – Bellis.  LOB – IH 6, ECC 4.   2B – Olson.  HR – Preston.  RBI – Bellis, Bix, Hartz, Newton, Preston 5.  SAC – Bellis.

GAME TWO

Ellsworth     010 00 – 1  2  1        

Indian Hills 030 6x – 9  7  1

Margo van Eijl and Peyton Moffet.  Cheyanne Collens and Maggie Braniff.

W – van Eijl (9-0).  L – Collens.

E –Olson.  LOB – IH 5, ECC 3.  2B – Hartz, Moffet, Olson, HR – Bix, Newton, Olson.  RBI – Bix, Hartz, Newton 2, Olson 3.  SB – Bix, Mehaffy, Voigt.