Sweep Starts Home Schedule for IHCC

Ottumwa -- In what may be the earliest home opener in the school's history, Indian Hills took both games of a doubleheader with Marshalltown CC on Thursday at R.L. Hellyer Field. The visitors took a brief early lead, but the Warriors rallied to win the first game, 8-3, and then finished off the sweep with a 4-2 win in the nightcap.

Indian Hills' season record is now 10-8 and the Warriors have won eight of their last 10 games.

In game one, Indian Hills jumped on top with an RBI-single by Jordan Grell in the
1st and a run-scoring grouner by Ryan Jehle in the 2nd. Marshalltown got their only offense of the opener on a three-run homer by Cayla Collins in the 3rd to take a 3-2 lead.

Indian Hills answered when Grell's fielder's choice grounder scored Kelly Ruepke, who had led off with a single, to tie the score at 3-all. The Warriors then took the lead for good with three unearned runs in the 5th. Ruepke led off with a single and eventually scored her third run of the game. Jehle's single brought home the final run of the frame.

Ruepke scored one of IHCC's two insurance runs in the 6th, her fourth run scored of the contest.

Brandi Haight started and worked six innings for the Warriors to get the win. Sonja Holmes pitched a perfect 7th inning in relief. Lizzy Tucker had three hits for IHCC.

The nightcap was a pitcher's duel through 4 1/2 innings. Indian Hills finally solved MCC pitcher Rachel Robinson in the bottom of the 5th, scoring two unearned runs. The first run came home on a throwing error and the second scored on McKenzie Cason's single to center.

After Marshalltown pushed across a run against IHCC starter Kylee Coughlin in the top of the 6th, the Warriors' Tricia Bix and Tory Beaver knocked in runs in the bottom of the inning.

Holmes replaced Coughlin with one out in the 7th and despite giving up a run, nailed down the win. Bix had two of the Warriors' seven hits and pinch-runner Morgan Powers scored twice.

The Warriors are slated to travel to Branson, Missouri for a weekend tournament, but the weather forecast for southern Missouri doesn't look good. The next scheduled games, after this weekend, are the first two league contests at home against Muscatine CC on March 27.