Fillies lose heartbreaker in regional opener versus Eudora

EUDORA — One lousy run was it all came down to for the Fillies Tuesday afternoon in Eudora. After five scoreless innings, the Cardinals managed to get one by the Fillies and that was all it took in the opening round of the 4A Regional in Eudora.

“It was a tough way to end the season but I am so proud of these girls,” head coach Chris Weide said. “This was just a great softball game by two really good teams. We just didn’t get the breaks to go our way.”

The 1-0 loss ends Iola’s season and puts the girls’ record at 6-12. 

It was a pitching duel from the start as both teams struggled to get runners on the basepaths. 

Freshman starter Reece Murry was on it, allowing just six hits and a walk all evening before the final run in the sixth. She also recorded six strikeouts. 

“Reece pitched great tonight,” Weide said. “She was hitting her spots and battled all night. She is a gamer for sure. It is a great feeling knowing she is just a freshman and we will have her for three more years.”

The hits didn’t come easily for the Fillies. Senior Madisyn Holloway, junior Nissa Fountain and Murry each had two in the game and that was it. The Fillies weren’t walked. 

Heading into next year the Fillies will lose four starters including Holloway, Mia Aronson, Paige Burrough and Kendra Sprague. 

“I can’t say enough about these seniors,” Weide said, “They come to practice every day and work their tails off. 

“They each have their own unique talents and personalities they bring to the team, and that’s what makes them fun to coach. It’s tough to lose a game, but it’s really tough when it hits you that you won’t ever get to practice with them or coach them in another game. That’s what’s tough.”

With the 2019 season behind them, the Fillies can now look to the future and it looks fairly bright. Iola managed to get a lot of underclassmen in varsity games this season and that experience is sure to pay off in future seasons. 

“We will have five returning starters coming back from this year that were major contributors,” Weide said. “That leaves four open starting varsity spots to be filled. We have talent coming back and those girls feel like they are ready to play. As a coach, I hope they are ready because they will get their chance next season.”