Creston, IA – The Indian Hills Softball team connected on six home runs Sunday to power the Warriors to an Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) sweep on the road vs. Southwestern Community College. Indian Hills moves to 19-15 overall on the year and 5-3 in league play.
Sparked by three home runs in the opening game from sophomore All-American Julia Kwakernaak (The Hague, Netherlands/Segbroek College), the Warriors ran away with the afternoon series, picking up a 10-3 win in game one followed by an 11-3 run-rule victory in the nightcap over the Spartans. The Warriors have now won 20 consecutive games over Southwestern and are 28-1 all-time vs. the Spartans.
Indian Hills jumped all over the Spartans in the opener, scoring four runs in the first frame as sophomore Claire Tipton (Unionville, MO/Putnam County) delivered a two-run home run followed by a solo shot to right field from Kwakernaak. A National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American a season ago, Kwakernaak delivered a second round-tripper in the fourth inning, a three-run shot to push the lead to 8-1. The sophomore added a solo home run in the sixth to put the game out of reach.
Kwakernaak becomes just the fourth player in school history to hit three home runs in a game, and just the fifth instance overall. The sophomore finished the contest 3-4 with three runs and five RBI. The three home runs gives Kwakernaak 18 for her career and a team-high eight this season.
In total, the Warriors saw eight individuals collect a hit, including four individuals with a multi-hit performance. Sophomore Eva Fulk (Ankeny, IA/Ankeny) went 2-4 while Tipton added two hits and two runs scored. Courtney Locke (Bow, WA/Burlington-Edison) added two hits, including a double to aid the offense.
Freshman Alivia Ruble (Lacona, IA/Southeast Warren) secured her first-career victory in the circle, going 5.0 innings with five strikeouts to lead the Warriors. Freshman Ashlyn Sheets (Ottumwa, IA/Ottumwa) closed out the contest with two shutout innings of relief.
Game two once again saw an early outburst from the Warriors for an early edge. Ava Smith (Waukee, IA/Waukee Northwest) delivered an RBI double in the first before Tipton delivered a three-run knock in the second for the early advantage. Smith delivered the knockout punch later in the second, a two-run home run to push the lead to 7-0. Tipton put the game out of reach in the third with a two-run home run, the sophomore's 17th career longball.
Smith finished the game 3-3 with three extra base hits and three RBI. Tipton, Kwakernaak, and Jenna Lemley (Troy Mills, IA/North Linn) each tallied two hits for the Warriors.
In the circle, sophomore Sara Reid (Central City, IA/Central City) went the distance with five innings of work to improve to 9-6 overall on the year.
With hits in each of the contests on Sunday, both Tipton and Fulk extended their season-long hitting streaks for the Warriors. Tipton has now collected a hit in 16 consecutive games while Fulk has hit safely in 10 straight.
Originally scheduled to return to action on April 11, the Warriors will now host a doubleheader against North Central Missouri College on April 9 at R.L. Hellyer Field. First pitch is set for 3:00 PM.
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