Ottumwa, IA – A late surge powered the Indian Hills Softball team to a 15-4 conference victory over Southeastern Community College on Tuesday. The Warriors split the afternoon doubleheader after falling game two, 5-2.
The Warriors move to 30-8 on the year and 9-1 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC). Over the last two seasons, Indian Hills is 32-2 in league play.
Facing a 4-0 deficit after the first inning of game one, the Warriors got on the board with two runs in the second, but trailed until a pair of runs in the top half of the sixth. All squared at four in the top of the seventh, the Warriors broke things open with 11 runs in the final frame, highlighted by five home runs, including two from sophomore Sydney Anderson (Elkhart, IA/North Polk).
A timely sacrifice squeeze bunt from Jenna Lemley (Troy Mills, IA/North Linn) proved to be the decisive play in the seventh as the freshman's placement allowed Eva Fulk (Ankeny, IA/Ankeny) to score from third for the go-ahead run. Lemley's bunt single was followed by three consecutive home runs from Anderson, Tatum Aragon (Fort Collins, CO/Fort Collins), and Abby Martin (Lamoni, IA/Lamoni). Claire Tipton (Unionville, MO/Putnam County) added another roundtripper before Anderson capped the scoring with a two-run shot.
Anderson, this week's Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) Player of the Week, went 3-4 with five RBI and three runs scored. The returning All-American is currently on an eight-game hitting streak while batting .500 with four home runs and 14 RBI during the stretch.
10 different Warriors collected hits with seven going for multi-hit efforts. Fulk collected two hits and two runs scored while Lemley finished the game 2-3 with two RBI and two runs scored in the win. Aragon, Martin, and TJ Stoaks (Lenox, IA/Lenox) each added two hits.
In the circle, Stoak proved to be difference maker in relief. After four innings from starter Madie Anderson (Mt. Pleasant, IA/Winfield Mt. Union), Stoaks allowed just one hit and one walk over the final three frames to silence the Blackhawks. Stoaks moves to 3-0 on the year and 5-0 for her career.
Game two saw the Warriors score in the top of the first inning, but the Blackhawks answered with five runs over the next three frames to pull away. Indian Hills added a run in the sixth, but the offense fell short as the Warriors were dealt their first conference loss of the year.
Originally scheduled to host North Iowa Area Community College on Wednesday, the Warriors have postponed the doubleheader and will now travel to Southwestern Community College in Creston, IA April 22-23 for a four-game series.