Neosho, MO – The Indian Hills Softball team is headed to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Softball World Series for the 21st time in program history after the Warriors defeated Crowder College (MO) 4-1 on Sunday afternoon.
The Warriors clinched the best-of-three NJCAA DI Softball Midwest District Championship with a thrilling win over Crowder in the winner-take-all contest at Roughrider Field on Sunday. A seventh inning home run from sophomore All-American Destiny Lewis (Indianola, IA/Indianola) proved to be the difference maker as the Warriors powered past the Roughriders to win the program's 21st District championship, all since 1989.
Indian Hills will now move on to the NJCAA World Series for the first time since 2019 and the second time under head coach Lindsay Diehl. The 2023 NJCAA World Series will get underway at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, AL on May 23. The Warriors will find out their opponent Thursday afternoon with the official release of the tournament bracket.
Lewis delivered the biggest hit of the series in the top half of the seventh to lead the Warriors. Freshmen Abby Martin (Lamoni, IA/Lamoni) and Jensyn Jones (Swisher, IA/Cedar Rapids Prairie) each added two hits to pace the eight-hit attack for the Warriors.
For the second straight day, sophomore Madie Anderson (Mt. Pleasant, IA/Winfield Mt. Union) was the difference maker in the circle for the Warriors. Anderson allowed just one hit, a second inning single to keep the Roughriders at bay. Anderson picked up her career-high 19th victory for the Warriors.
After both sides picked up a win on Saturday to force Sunday's winner-take-all matchup, the Warriors struck first in the second inning as Jones delivered an RBI single to score Julia Kwakernaak (The Hague, Netherlands/Segbroek College). The Roughriders capitalized on a pair of walks with an RBI single in the bottom half of the frame to even the game at one-all.
Anderson and Crowder hurler Chelsea Beville who each picked up a victory on Saturday, wowed the crowd over the next four frames with dominant performances in the circle as neither side was able to plate a run.
The Warriors finally hit paydirt in the top of the seventh as a sacrifice fly from Claire Tipton (Unionville, MO/Putnam County) scored Abbi Cataldo (Altoona, IA/Southeast Polk) for the go-ahead run. Lewis, who nearly willed the Warriors to victory in Saturday's second game, followed up two batters later with a two-run home run to push the Warriors' lead to 4-1.
With a bid to the World Series in sight, Anderson sat the Roughriders down in order in the bottom of the seventh to clinch the program's 21st District championship.
In two appearances in this year's District tournament, Anderson went 14 innings with just four hits and one earned run allowed as the sophomore won her 11th consecutive start. Anderson struck out three batters in the win on Sunday.
Lewis' home run gave the sophomore 30 on the year and 61 for her career. Lewis now boasts the third most home runs in the NJCAA this year.
Kwakernaak finished the game 1-3 at the plate to extend her season-high hitting streak to 17 games on the year.
With the win, Diehl moves into third-place on the all-time wins list in Indian Hills Softball history with 184 career victories. Diehl owns a .767 career winning percentage in five seasons at Indian Hills.
As of Sunday night, the Warriors are one of 11 teams to clinch a spot at the 16-team World Series.
'BAMA BOUND! No. 19-rated @WarriorSoftball punched its ticket to the NJCAA D1 World Series with a 4-1 victory over @CrowderSoftball this afternoon in Neosho, MO in the winner-take-all game 3 of the NJCAA Midwest District Championship. (cont.) pic.twitter.com/zlQGxbI5t4
— IHCC Athletics (@IHCCAthletics) May 14, 2023
