Creston, IA – The Indian Hills Softball team erupted for 39 runs in a doubleheader sweep of Southwestern Community College on Thursday. The Warriors won game one 20-8 and took the nightcap 19-5.
With the sweep, Indian Hills extends its winning streak to 26 games. The Warriors unprecedented streak is the longest such run since the 2005 team rattled off 31 consecutive wins, a streak that culminated in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Softball Tournament. The Warriors are now 29-6 overall on the year and 14-0 in Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) play.
Two days removed from a pair of one-run ballgames, Indian Hills put its offense on full display on Thursday from the getgo. The Warriors plated five runs in the top of the first inning of game one as Sydney Anderson (Elkhart, IA/North Polk) delivered a three-run home run to spark the offense.
Despite a five run response in the bottom of the first from the Spartans, the Warrior offense continued to thrive, scoring three runs over the next two frames before breaking the game open with seven runs in the fourth and five more in the fifth to earn the win in the opener.
The Warriors connected on eight extra base hits as Anderson produced two home runs and a double along with seven RBI to lead the offensive surge. Freshman Destiny Lewis (Indianola, IA/Indianola) added a home run and two doubles.
In the circle, freshman Madie Anderson improved to 9-2 on the year with four innings of relief work, striking out six batters in the victory.
The two teams went blow-for-blow in the game two as each side scored two runs in the first while the Warriors added three in the second and Southwestern answered with two in the bottom of the second. Indian Hills pulled away with a five run third, but put the game out of reach with nine runs in the top of the fifth to extend its longest winning streak in 17 years.
Lewis and Anderson both delivered a pair of home runs in the win while Abbie Cataldo (Altoona, IA/Southeast Polk) and Gracie Jevyak (Davenport, IA/Davenport Assumption) added home runs as well. In total, the Warriors recorded 12 extra base hits in game two.
Breanna Newton (Bettendorf, IA/Bettendorf) added three hits in game two. The first six batters in the lineup combined to go 15-27 at the plate while 10 different Warriors recorded a hit.
TJ Stoaks (Lenox, IA/Lenox) worked two scoreless innings of relief to earn her first career victory in the circle.
Anderson and Lewis have combined for 38 home runs on the year, the third-most between two teammates in the NJCAA this year. Lewis ranks third nationally with 20 while Anderson's 18 home runs are good enoguh for fifth in the NJCAA. Lewis becomes just the fourth Warrior in program history to hit 20 home runs in a season.
The Warriors now head to Council Bluffs, IA for a showdown with Iowa Western Community College on Saturday. The top two ICCAC teams will square off for a conference doubleheader at 2:00 PM. No fans are allowed at the venue due to ongoing construction. Fans can follow along live on the Reiver Sports Network.
2⃣0⃣��@destlewis7 becomes just the fourth Warrior in program history to hit 20 home runs in a season after hitting 3⃣ more today...with at least 18 games still to play��
— Indian Hills Softball (@WarriorSoftball) April 15, 2022
Destiny ranks third in @NJCAASoftball this year. pic.twitter.com/zsbOknvLAm