Oxford, AL – The No. 13 Indian Hills Softball team posted a 1-1 record to open the team's 2023 campaign at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Preview at Choccolocco Park.
The Warriors took a 3-2 victory in the season opener against Blinn College (TX) before falling to San Jacinto College (TX) 12-3 in the second contest. Friday's matchups were the first of a three-day, six-game schedule in Alabama for the Warriors in one of the top-tier early season tournaments in the NJCAA.
The Buccaneers struck first in the opening contest with a single run in the top of the first inning, but sophomore pitcher Madie Anderson (Mt. Pleasant, IA/Winfield Mt. Union), the 2022 Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) Pitcher of the Year, settled down to keep Blinn at bay.
The Warriors found its first run of the season in the bottom half of the third inning as freshman Abby Martin (Lamoni, IA/Lamoni) singled and later scored on a Buccaneer miscue. The Warriors threatened to take the lead in the frame but left a pair of runners stranded. After a pair of scoreless frames from Anderson, sophomore Ryann Cheek (Eldridge, IA/North Scott) took the circle in relief and kept the Buccaneers off the board.
The Warriors jumped ahead with a two-run fifth inning as Martin proved to be the offensive catalyst once again. The freshman belted her first-career home run, a solo shot to left center for the 2-1 advantage. Fellow freshman Tatum Aragon (Fort Collins, CO/Fort Collins) followed up with a triple and later scored on a sacrifice fly for the 3-1 edge.
Blinn tacked on a run in the top of the seventh, but Cheek left a runner stranded in scoring position to preserve the win for Indian Hills.
Martin and Aragon both collected two hits for the Warriors. Jenna Lemley (Troy Mills, IA/North Linn) and Carly Campbell (Homestead, IA/Williamsburg) each added a knock at the plate.
Anderson scattered six hits in 3.2 innings of work while Cheek allowed just two baserunners over the final 3.1 to earn her 11th career win for the Warriors.
The nightcap saw San Jacinto take a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning before adding three runs in the second and six more in the third to pull away early from the Warriors. Indian Hills used a three-run third inning behind a two-run single from freshman Hannah Simpson (Fairfield, IA/Fairfield), but the Warrior offense stalled the rest of the way.
Aragon added another base hit in the loss while Claire Mathews (Centerville, IA/Centerville), TJ Stoaks (Lenox, IA/Lenox), and Eva Fulk (Ankeny, IA/Ankeny) each colleted their first base hits of the year.
The Warriors return to action at the NJCAA National Preview on Saturday. The Warriors will take on Northwest Florida State College at 12:00 PM and No. 2 nationally ranked McLennan Community College at 6:00 PM.