Ottumwa, IA – The Indian Hills Softball team pushed its winning streak to 13 games with an Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) doubleheader sweep over Southwestern Community College on Wednesday. The Warriors move to 20-6 overall on the year and 6-0 in league play.
Taking on the Spartans at R.L. Hellyer Field, the Warriors earned a 3-2 victory in the opening game before dropping Southwestern 9-1 in a run-rule shortened contest in the nightcap. The Warriors have now won 13 consecutive games and are undefeated at home on the year.
The Warriors fell behind in the opener as Southwestern scored the game's first run in the top of the second, but a solo home run from Hannah Simpson (Fairfield, IA/Fairfield) in the bottom half knotted the game at one. Sophomore Abbi Cataldo (Altoona, IA/Southeast Polk) added a sacrifice fly in the same frame to score Sydney Anderson (Elkhart, IA/North Polk) for the Warriors' first lead of the game.
The Spartans responded immediately with a run in the top half of the third to tie the game at two, but Simpson proved to be the answer once again with an RBI single to score Destiny Lewis (Indianola, IA/Indianola) in the bottom of the third.
Freshman Thea Banning (Winterset, IA/Winterset), who entered the circle in the second inning, kept the Spartans at bay the rest of the way after an impressive relief outing. Banning moves to 4-2 on the year after striking out seven batters in 5.1 innings of work, both career-highs for the hurler.
The Spartans once again struck first in game two with a run in the top of the first, but it was Simpson who delivered another game-changing home run in the bottom half. The freshman drove a pitch over the left field wall for a two-run shot.
The Warriors tacked on two more runs in the second on a bases-clearing error to take a 4-1 lead. A Sydney McNeeley (Pleasant Hill, IA/Southeast Polk) double in the third drove in a pair that sparked a five-run frame to give Indian Hills a 9-1 lead.
Following the first inning run, sophomore Ryann Cheek (Eldridge, IA/North Scott) kept the Spartans in check the rest of the way, allowing just one base hit to secure the victory, the southpaw's fifth of the season. Freshman Sara Reid (Central City, IA/Central City) tossed a scoreless fifth with two strikeouts to close out the victory.
Freshman Tatum Aragon (Fort Collins, CO/Fort Collins) went 3-3 in the win while Eva Fulk (Ankeny, IA/Ankeny) added a pair of knocks.
Simpson's performance on Wednesday added on to a stellar stretch at the plate for the freshman. Simpson extended her season-long hitting streak to 12 games and has now hit four home runs in the team's last five contests. During the streak, Simpson is batting .474 with 15 RBI.
Homerun��
— GoHillsTV (@GoHillsTv) April 5, 2023
Hannah Simpson's second homerun of the day puts the Warriors in the lead! pic.twitter.com/ahhAeavueA
The Warriors are back in action Thursday afternoon with a nonconference doubleheader at Ellsworth Community College. First pitch is set for 2:00 PM in Iowa Falls, IA.
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WARRIORS GRAB WIN NO. 20 – @WarriorSoftball moved to 20-6 overall and 6-0 in @ICCACSports after completing a doubleheader sweep over @SwccSoftball this afternoon with a 9-1, five-inning victory in the nightcap. #WeAreWarriors #WarriorNation pic.twitter.com/gDzSGbwBaY
— IHCC Athletics (@IHCCAthletics) April 5, 2023
