Santa Fe Trails pitching proved to be too much for the Iola softball team Tuesday night as they closed out the regular season with two shutout losses.
The Lady Chargers beat the Fillies 10-0 in game one and 10-0 in five innings in game two. The Fillies end the regular season with a 6-14 mark overall.
Santa Fe Trail starter Kelsey Simmons was a monster in her 10 total innings pitched between the two games. She held Iola scoreless, hitless and struck out 17 Fillies.
We had no answer for Simmons, head coach Chris Wei-de said. She is, by far, the best pitcher weve faced this season and we just couldnt get a handle on her. One inning we were able to hit the ball but we hit it right at them. That girl is good.
In the brief two innings that Simmons wasnt on the mound in game two, sophomore Fillie Kelsey Morrison managed to grab the teams lone hit.
Freshman Jenna Miller got the start in the first game, allowing 10 runs (four earned) on 10 hits and seven walks with five strikeouts.
The Chargers scored six runs in the first two innings but Miller managed to get them clamped down and allowed just a run until Santa Fe Trail scored three in the top of the seventh to close out the game.
Freshman Kelsey Schinstock got the start in game two and did very well. She allowed 10 runs but only one of those were earned. The Chargers also got eight hits and seven walks. Schinstock struck out one batter.
Our freshman pitchers hung in there again, Weide said. Jenna kind of settled in after game one and Kelsey threw a good game. But it just came down to offense. We just couldnt answer.
Schinstock kept the Chargers down for the first half of the game, allowing a run in the second and three in the fourth before Santa Fe Trail bounded away with six runs in the top of the fifth which triggered the run-rule after a scoreless bottom-half of the inning.
The games were the last that the Fillies will play at home this season meaning it was the last home action for Iolas three seniors Chloe Gardner, Carley Cescon and Camryn Freimiller.
Gardner, Iolas third-baseman, is a four-year starter and is second on the team in hits (24) and batting average (.381). She also has the highest fielding percentage of anyone to play in all 20 varsity games this season at .897.
Shes started every game of her career, Weide said. For somebody to do that, it shows the talent they have. But even beyond that, she has the intangibles. Shes a great leader and she leads by example. Every practice shes here on time, ready to go and shes always positive. Shes probably one of the best kids Ive been around in athletics or otherwise. Just a great, great kid.
Cescon was not a varsity starter but was used primarily as a pinch-runner due to her speed. Freimiller didnt get a lot of varsity action but was a rock for the junior varsity.
Carley shows up ready work, Weide said. You can tell how much she loves the game and she brings a ton to these young girls. Camryn doesnt get a ton of varsity time but shes always here being positive and always smiling. All three of the seniors have brought a ton to our program and Im going to hate to see them graduate.
The Fillies will head to Prairie View for the 4A-II regional tournament on Tuesday where theyll face Anderson County as either the two or three seed. A win will pit them against either one-seed Burlington or four-seed Prairie View.
