Ottumwa, IA – The Indian Hills Softball team earned a pair of wins in its home opener at R.L. Hellyer Field on Saturday as the Warriors defeated Rock Valley College (IL) 5-1 and 9-8. The Warriors improve to 16-6 on the year and have now won nine games in a row.
Sophomore Destiny Lewis (Indianola, IA/Indianola) made headlines for the Warriors in the sweep after becoming the school's all-time home run leader. With three home runs on the afternoon, Lewis now sits atop the Indian Hills record book with 40 career home runs.
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— GoHillsTV (@GoHillsTv) April 1, 2023
Second HOMERUN of game two, Lewis brings in Aragon to bring the score to 7-2 Warriors lead! Destiny Lewis now holds the record for career homeruns! pic.twitter.com/dskbNcM3wR
Playing on its home dirt for the first time this season, the Warriors used a three-run first-inning to pull ahead of the visiting Golden Eagles as Lewis delivered her first home run of the day, a three-run shot for an early 3-1 advantage.
Freshman Claire Tipton (Unionville, MO/Putnam County) added a run-scoring single in the fourth to drive in Abby Martin (Lamoni, IA/Lamoni) to push the lead to 4-1 as pitcher Madie Anderson (Mt. Pleasant, IA/Winfield Mt. Union) continued to deal in the circle.
Freshman Tatum Aragon (Fort Collins, CO/Fort Collins) pushed the lead to 5-1 with an RBI in the fifth, driving in TJ Stoaks (Lenox, IA/Lenox). Anderson went the distance for the Warriors and closed out the game with 11 consecutive batters retired.
Anderson moves to 6-2 in the circle on the year after striking out seven batters while scattering four hits in the win. Tipton collected her first-career three-hit performance for the Warriors to pace the offense.
The Warriors staked a 4-0 lead in the first inning with three home runs from the middle of its order. Lewis delivered a two-run shot before Hannah Simpson (Fairfield, IA/Fairfield) went back-to-back for a 3-0 lead. Martin tacked on a solo shot for the 4-0 advantage.
After a scoreless second and third frame from both sides, Rock Valley drove in two runs in the fourth to cut into the deficit. An RBI double from Collins drove in Eva Fulk (Ankeny, IA/Ankeny) for a 5-2 edge before Lewis made history in her second at bat of the contest. The sophomore All-American sent a two-out pitch off the scoreboard in left field for her 40th career round-tripper. The home run extended the lead to 7-2 in favor of the Warriors.
Rock Valley slowly chipped away at the deficit and eventually tied the game at seven in the top half of the sixth inning. The Golden Eagles stunned the Warriors in the seventh with another run to take its first lead of the game, an 8-7 edge.
With its eight-game winning streak in doubt, the Warriors battled back with a thrilling finish. After a leadoff single from Sydney Anderson, Martin stepped to the plate and drove a shot to left center for the walk-off home run for the Warriors.
Martin finished the game 3-4 at the dish with three RBI. Freshman Thea Banning (Winterset, IA/Winterset) earned the win in the circle after allowing just one earned run in 1.1 innings of relief work.
The Warriors and Golden Eagles resume play with a doubleheader on Sunday for the series finale. First pitch is set for 11:00 AM.
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— IHCC Athletics (@IHCCAthletics) April 2, 2023
With three home runs on Saturday, Destiny Lewis is now the all-time @WarriorSoftball home run record holder with 40 career roundtrippers!#WeAreWarriors #WarriorNation pic.twitter.com/M7NyBlZH9P
