JUCO softball: Warriors score identical wins over Ellsworth

Scott Jackson, Ottumwa Courier, Iowa
·2 min read

Apr. 10—OTTUMWA — After settling for splits in four of their last five regional doubleheaders, 15th-ranked Indian Hills found the consistency needed two secure a pair of eerily similar wins on Friday.

Kennedy Preston lined a three-run home run out to left field with two outs in the opening inning, setting the tone for a 9-1 win over Ellsworth in the first of four games over a three-day span against the Panthers at Romalynn 'R.L.' Hellyer Field. Chloe Olson and Breanna Newton added home runs in the second inning of game two as IHCC quickly erased a 1-0 Ellsworth lead, winning 9-1 once again in the second game of the series.

Preston drove in five of IHCC's nine runs in game one of Friday's doubleheader, connecting on a two-run base hit in the fourth as Indian Hills answered a lead-off home run by Ally Sparks with six hits and five runs to end the opener early. Malarie Huseman earned her team-leading 12th win in the pitching circle, overcoming three consecutive walks to open the second inning to retire the next three batters to protect the 3-0 Warrior lead.

Newton collected two hits in game one, driving in Chloe Olson during IHCC's five-run rally in the fourth. Newton then followed Olson's game-tying home run in the second inning of game two by blasting a two-run homer over the fence in left to put the Warriors ahead 3-1.

Olson collected four hits in six plate appearances on Friday, improving to 19-30 in her last nine games hammering her 33rd career home run, moving within four of surpassing former teammate Brooke Snider for the most career homers hit by any Indian Hills softball player. Kaylee Bix added her fourth home run of the season in the fourth inning of game two, kicking off a five-run rally for the Warriors that included run-scoring doubles from Olson and Gretta Hartz.

Indian Hills (25-7, 17-5 ICCAC) and Ellsworth (12-14, 9-11 ICCAC) will play two more games on Sunday as the first two games of the series were moved up a day to avoid potential rain on Saturday. Sunday's doubleheader in Ottumwa between the Panthers and 15th-ranked Warriors begins at 11 a.m.

— Scott Jackson can be reached at sjackson@ottumwacourier.com. Follow him on Twitter@CourierScott.