PITTSBURG — Molly Riebel and Shelby Greenwood, two seniors, “smoked” the softball Tuesday for Iola High’s Fillies.
Riebel was 4-for-4, scored three runs and drove in a run in Iola’s 11-1 win over host Pittsburg High’s Purple Dragons. Greenwood had three hits, including a triple, in that game and had a single and scored three runs in a 12-1 win.
“We’re right where we want to be at this time of the season,” said Vince Coons, Fillies’ head coach, following the sweep of the Southeast Kansas League doubleheader.
“Molly and Shelby were smoking the ball. We’ve improved on our hitting overall.”
Iola is 10-2 in SEK play and overall. That puts the Fillies in second place in the SEK with Labette County (9-1, 12-2) in first place. Iola and Labette County split the season-opening league doubleheader.
The Fillies step out of SEK play to host Neodesha Friday.
Iola scored four runs in the first and one run in the second to lead Pittsburg 5-1. The Fillies had the same pattern in the third and fourth innings to bump their lead to 10-1. Iola added a run in the sixth.
Alex Hill limited Pittsburg to six hits and walked one in the first game win. She had 10 strikeouts.
Hill came back in the second game to pitch a three-hitter. She walked three and struck out six.
In the opener, Riebel hit three singles and a double while Greenwood had two singles and a triple. Brandi Preston had three singles. Megan Cook doubled.
Hitting a single each were Leah Weir, Amanda Carr, Lyndsi Faulhaber, Kylee McKarnin and Hill.
Iola got 14 free passes to the bases — 12 walks and two hit batters — from Pittsburg pitching in the second game. The Fillies took advantage scoring six runs in the first inning.
Iola led 12-0 after a five-run fifth. Pittsburg scored its run in the bottom of the fifth.
Carr, another senior hitting the ball hard, according to Coons, had two singles at the right time in the game to drive in runs. Preston and Greenwood each had a single.
The Humboldt High tournament will not be rescheduled. Iola will play at Humboldt May 7.
Fillies roll up two SEK wins
