LA CYGNE — Every game is a learning opportunity for Chris Weide’s Iola High Fillies.
The first-year softball coach challenged his group — which faced a 9-0 deficit in the bottom of the fourth — to simply stay in the game against Prairie View on Tuesday.
“That is what we did,” Weide said. “We challenged them in the bottom of the fourth and told them that we are going to play seven innings. We had to play defense and have each other’s back.”
The Fillies (2-4) had struggled to get the bat on the ball all day against Prairie View’s pair of talented pitchers with Maggie Brown and Madison Kemper, so a comeback seemed unlikely, but Weide wanted to make sure his squad wouldn’t quit.
The Fillies didn’t disappoint their coach. They held Prairie View scoreless over the final two-plus innings and freshman Sierra Snavely threw some of her best pitches of the evening in the final few innings.
The game ended with a 9-0 victory for Prairie View.
“That is the best team we’ve played all year and those are the best two pitchers we’ve faced all year,” Weide said.
Kemper threw a complete-game and allowed only one hit in the shutout performance. Iola junior Jadyn Sigg broke up the no-hit bid with a single in the seventh inning with two outs.
“We had a rough day, but we just have to keep working,” Weide said. “We have to go to practice tomorrow and work on hitting and keep working on hitting. We will get better.”
Despite falling short on the scoreboard, Iola’s leaders on the field proved to Weide that they are not quitters, no matter the score.
Senior Ashlie Shields is one of those leaders of the young bunch of Fillies and works to instill that attitude into her less-experienced teammates. Weide says his catcher’s leadership has been invaluable already this season and she has continued to improve defensively.
“Shields caught the best game she has all year,” Weide said. “She keeps Sierra (Snavely) positive as well. She is doing a great job behind the plate.”
Game two was a very similar story offensively for the Fillies. Brown controlled the game for Prairie View from start to finish and shut down the Fillies offense.
Prairie View earned the 6-1 win, despite Snavely’s solid pitching throughout the game.
“I think she pitched well overall,” Weide said. “We just couldn’t catch a break. They had a couple of seeing-eye singles and bloops. Those are just breaks we didn’t get.”
Iola’s run came in the sixth inning when Scout Rush led-off with a walk. Junior Toni Macha’s single scored Rush just two batters later.
