Burlington, IA – The Indian Hills Softball team forced a Game Three of the opening round of the 2024 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Softball Region 11 Tournament on Wednesday, splitting the postseason doubleheader with second-seeded Southeastern Community College. The Warriors fell in a 15-12 thriller in the opener before battling back to take game two, 10-2, in five innings.
The Warriors rallied late in game one to take a four-run lead into the bottom half of the seventh inning, but the Blackhawks battled back and eventually stole the opener from the Warriors to force an elimination game. Indian Hills regrouped after the loss and jumped all over the Blackhawks early on in game two to run away with the victory.
Wednesday's split will force a winner-take-all matchup Thursday afternoon back at the Wagner Complex in Burlington for a 12:00 PM start. The winner of Thursday's contest will head to top-seeded Iowa Western Community College for the best-of-three NJCAA Region 11 Championship series in Council Bluffs Sunday afternoon.
Both sides used multiple big innings at the plate to spark runs down the stretch. Indian Hills erased a 4-0 deficit with four runs in the fourth, highlighted a two-run home run from Tatum Aragon (Fort Collins, CO/Fort Collins) and a two-run base hit from Jenna Lemley (Troy Mills, IA/North Linn). Claire Tipton's (Unionville, MO/Putnman County) solo home run in the fifth put Indian Hills on top, but the Blackhawks rallied with four runs in the bottom of the sixth for an 8-5 advantage.
The Warrior offense erupted in the seventh with seven runs as Aragon delivered another critical hit, a three-run home run to right as Indian Hills took a 12-8 lead. The home team found success in its last at bat, tallying seven runs of its own, including a three-run walk-off home run to put Southeastern in the driver's seat of the postseason tournament.
Facing elimination, the Warriors built a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning as Julia Kwakernaak (The Hague, Netherlands/Segbroek College) delivered a two-run home run. A run from the Blackhawks in the bottom of the first cut into the lead, but Indian Hills powered its way to six more runs in the second to pull away. A dominant outing in the circle from teammates Ashlynn Sheets (Ottumwa, IA/Ottumwa) and Sara Reid (Central City, IA/Central City) limited any attempt of a comeback from the Blackhawks.
Aragon's career day carried the Warriors throughout the afternoon. Aragon delivered five hits, including two doubles and the two home runs while driving in six runs and scoring three times.
It's Tatum's world today ��
— Indian Hills Softball (@WarriorSoftball) May 1, 2024
➡️ 4-5 | 2 2B | 2 HR
➡️ 6 RBI | 3 runs
➡️ One big-time celebration ⤵️#EveryDayWarriors pic.twitter.com/6CpEL7NDfs
Lemley added three hits, three runs, and four RBI while Tipton connected on a home run in each game for the Warriors. Freshman Ava Smith (Waukee, IA/Waukee Northwest) delivered a home run in the nightcap to finish game two with a pair of hits.
Sheets and Reid combined to allow just five hits and one earned run in the game two win. Reid secured the victory, her 16th of the season.
Fans can catch all of the action of Thursday's contest live on GoHillsTV. Fans can tune in a number of ways:
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