Ottumwa, IA – Chalk up two more wins for the Indian Hills Softball squad after the Warriors toppled Southeastern Community College 10-0 and 3-1 at R.L. Hellyer Field on Wednesday. The Warriors improve to 39-8 overall and 19-1 in Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) play.
The Warriors, ranked No. 19 in this week's National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Softball poll, won their seventh consecutive conference game with the sweep over the Blackhawks. Indian Hills has now won 36 of its last 38 contests dating back to March 2.
On the verge of history, the Warriors connected on three home runs in the opener to run its season total to 108 on the year, just two shy of the all-time record set by the 1999 program. Gretta Hartz (Runnells, IA/Southeast Polk), Kennedy Preston (Carlisle, IA/Carlisle), and Alex Beard (Albia, IA/Albia) all went deep to lead the Warriors to game one shutout.
Indian Hills relied on the arm of Ryann Cheek in game two as both sides found themselves in a pitcher's duel. The Warriors, who had connected on at least one home run in 12 of its previous 13 games, failed to put a pitch over the fence, but Cheek struck out seven in 6.1 innings while allowing just one earned run to preserve the win.
The Warriors remain atop the ICCAC standings with its 19-1 mark in league play. Indian Hills has six games remaining, including a four-game ICCAC series vs. Iowa Western this weekend at R.L. Hellyer Field.
Hartz opened the scoring on Wednesday with a one out home run in the first inning of game one, the sophomore's 12th of the year. The two-time reigning NJCAA DI Player of the Week, Sydney Anderson (Elkhart, IA/North Polk) doubled the lead with an RBI single in third.
The Warriors eventually broke open game one with eight runs in the fourth inning. Beard opened the frame with a two-run home run followed by an RBI double from Destiny Lewis (Indianola, IA/Indianola). Anderson added another RBI base hit before Preston connected on a three-run home run.
Hartz, Anderson, and Beard all recorded two hits in the win. Freshman Madie Anderson (Mt. Pleasant, IA/Winfield Mt. Union), this week's ICCAC Pitcher of the Week went 4.0 innings in the circle, allowing just one hit to improve to 14-3 on the year.
The nightcap saw the Blackhawks strike first with a run in the fourth inning before Bryanna Mehaffy (Burlington, IA/Burlington) delivered an RBI single to score Breanna Newton (Bettendorf, IA/Bettendorf) and tie the game. Abbi Cataldo (Altoona, IA/Southeast Polk) put the Warriors ahead with an RBI single. Beard added an insurance run in the sixth with an RBI knock.
Cheek went 6.1 innings before Madi Huisman (Ankeny, IA/Ankeny Centennial) closed out the game for her first career save.
The Warriors host Iowa Western this weekend for a four-game series, with the opening doubleheader set for a 1:00 PM on Saturday. The two teams will square off for the series finale at 12:00 PM Sunday. Fans can catch all of the action on GoHillsTV.
IHCC SWEEPS SCC – @WarriorSoftball took both ends of today's @ICCACSports twinbill against @SCCBlackhawkSB as the Warriors (39-8, 19-1) downed the Blackhawks (26-17, 13-12) in the nightcap, 3-1. #WeAreHills #WarriorNation pic.twitter.com/qWgoHbLBNp
— IHCC Athletics (@IHCCAthletics) April 27, 2022
