Branson, MO – No. 15 Indian Hills Softball returned to action on Saturday and came out with a pair of wins at the Ballparks of America in Branson, MO. The Warriors rallied to drop Neosho County Community College (KS) 5-2 and Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa 8-3.
The Warriors moved to 4-2 on the year after sweeping the opening day of the team's weekend trip to Branson. Freshman Jenna Lemley (__) led the offensive attack with five hits on the day while Madie Anderson (Mt. Pleasant, IA/Winfield-Mt. Union) and Ryann Cheek (Eldridge, IA/North Scott) each picked up a win in the circle.
Trailing 2-1 entering the top of the sxith inning in the opener against Neosho County, the Warriors used an RBI double from Lemley to score Sydney Anderson (Elkhart, IA/North Polk) for the equalizer. After a scoreless bottom half from Cheek, Indian Hills posted four consecutive base hits in the top of the seventh to take the lead. Tatum Aragon (Fort Collins, CO/Fort Collins), Anderson, and Lemley each delivered RBI base hits for a three-run seventh. Cheek closed the door in the bottom half for the sophomore's second win of the year.
Lemley finished the opener 3-4 with two RBI in game one while Aragon added a pair of base hits for her third multi-hit game of the year. As a team, the Warriors posted 11 hits in the win.
Freshman Thea Banning (Winterset, IA/Winterset) made the start in the circle and went 3.2 innings while allowing just two unearned runs. Cheek posted 3.1 innings of relief work with four strikeouts. The sophomore allowed just one base hit while lowering her team-best earned run average to 0.66 on the year.
In the nightcap vs. Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa, the Warriors struck early with three runs in the top half of the first inning. Anderson delivered an RBI double before a Destiny Lewis (Indianola, IA/Indianola) triple brought in Anderson. Lemley picked up her fourth hit of the day with an RBI single to left.
After the Mavericks answered with a run in the bottom half of the first, both sides traded scoreless frames over the next three innings as Madie Anderson held the opposition at bay.
Lewis, who set the school record for single season home runs last year along with Sydney Anderson with 31, connected on her first home run of the year in the fifth, a two-run shot to left. Aragon extended the lead to 6-1 in the 6th with an RBI double to score Hannah Simpson (Fairfield, IA/Fairfield).
Freshman Julia Kwakernaak (The Hague, Netherlands/Segbroek College) doubled in the seventh to bring in both Sydney Anderson and Lewis to push the lead to 8-1. Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa tacked on two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the Warriors prevailed for their second win of the day.
Lewis and Lemley both produced a pair of hits in the win while Lewis finished with three RBI. Eight different Warriors registered a hit in the team's 10-hit attack.
Madie Anderson allowed just one base hit in five innings while striking out a pair of batters. Freshman Sarah Reid (Central City, IA/Central City) struck out a pair in two innings of relief work for the Warriors.
Indian Hills is back in action Sunday afternoon in Branson. The Warriors will take on Fort Scott Community College (KS) at 10:00 AM and Murray State College (OK), ranked No. 1 in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DII Softball poll, at 12:00 PM.