Winning cures all as the old sports adage goes and if thats true, then every member of the Filly softball team should have a free pass to skip their next check-up after a big sweep of an Osawatomie team that came into Tuesday nights games in Iola with an 8-0 record and a lethal reputation on offense.
In their last series versus Bishop Ward, the Lady Trojans scored over 40 runs in two games. On Tuesday, Iola held a team that had only scored in single digits once this season to five total runs in its two wins.
The Fillies squeaked out game one by 2-1 in extra innings before romping past Osawatomie in game two for a 10-4 win.
The wins move Iola to 3-5 this season.
Its huge, head coach Chris Weide said. Its seemed like weve been improving in practice and you can tell the kids that were coming around and getting there but winning cures a lot. We needed it. We started the season playing some really good teams and we needed to get a couple of wins like these to get to where we need to be.
Both wins were made possible by two great pitching performances.
Freshman Reece Murry went the full eight innings in game one, allowing one run on seven hits with 10 strikeouts.
Murry came out to start game two but after a rough first inning where Osawatomie recorded three hits and a walk, Murry was replaced by sophomore Kailey Schinstock who, after a somewhat rocky start, found her groove, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and six walks with three strikeouts.
I know Reece is a great pitcher but I needed to start throwing some other girls because you never know, Weide said. Kaileys been throwing the ball really well. In the first game, Reece was lights out but at the start of the second game, Osawatomie seemed to click with what she was doing so we went to Kailey. With a freshman and sophomore throwing like that today, it makes the future look pretty bright.
Both teams refused to blink for the first three innings of game one before the Lady Trojans took the first lead of the game with a run in the top of the fourth. Iola countered and tied things up with a run in the bottom of the fifth and for two more innings, both teams were all tied up.
Heading into the eighth, Iola had the heart of its order up. After a strikeout and a fly-out, the Fillies were facing two outs and no one on base. Then senior Madisyn Holloway broke the seal with a single. Junior Kelsey Morrison reached first on an error and junior Nissa Fountain loaded the bases with a walk.
Senior Mia Aronson took the plate and took a five-pitch walk to end the game and give Iola the win.
Holloway had two hits in the win.
In game two both teams grappled for position throughout the first five innings. Both teams scored a run in the first and Osawatomie took a lead with a run in the top of the second.
Iola jumped back ahead with two in the third but the Lady Trojans pushed back with two runs of their own in the top of the fifth.
Thats when the Fillies broke free. A five-run bottom of the fifth shot the Fillies ahead by three.
