When they hit the ball, they won. When they didn’t, they lost.
Iola High’s junior varsity softball team had a feast at the plate in the first of two games here Thursday at Riverside Park. The Fillies hammered out 15 hits to win 10-7 over visiting Independence High’s Bulldogs.
Iola scored five runs in the first inning on seven hits. The big inning featured a double by Libby Shay and a triple by Lacy Sigg.
Independence hit the ball too. The Bulldogs made it 6-5 by scoring two runs in the second and three in the third.
Iola responded with a four-run third inning. Independence’s fifth-inning rally was stopped after two runs scored.
“Our bats were going well in the first game. Breail (Thompson) pitched two good games again,” said Casey Greenwood, Fillies’ assistant coach.
Breail Thompson was the winning pitcher as she allowed nine hits and struck out eight.
She also went 3-for-3 as did Caitlyn Callaway with three singles apiece. Shay had a double and a single and Kayla Knavel hit two singles.
Sigg had a triple. Hitting a single each were Lauren Toney, Katie Thompson, Emily Ware and Holly Schomaker.
“In the second game, it took us some time to adjust to their pitcher,” Greenwood said. “Independence hit the ball well both games.”
Independence won the second game 10-4. All 10 of the Bulldogs’ runs came in the second when they had eight of their nine hits.
Iola led 2-0 after the first inning but could not recover from the Bulldogs’ big inning. Iola scored two more runs in the fourth.
B. Thompson took the pitching loss. She walked three, hit a batter and struck out three.
The Fillies had five hits. Toney and Shay each had two singles. Knavel hit a single.
Iola’s junior varsity will host Burlington next Thursday and Pittsburg next Friday.
Fillies’ junior varsity claims a victory
