More than a few fielding misadventures gave Fillies fans a headache Friday.
Iola High’s softball team was charged with seven errors, allowing host Chanute to score six runs — all unearned — in a 6-2 loss.
“We’re not a good enough offensive team to give teams five and six outs in an inning,” Fillies head coach Chris Weide said. A two-out error in the top of the fourth allowed Chanute to score the game’s first run before the floodgates opened in the fifth. Five Fillies errors in the frame led to five Blue Comet runs, all with two outs.
The loss spoiled a sterling pitching performance from Iola’s Reece Murry, who was making her season debut after being hobbled with a leg injury in the preseason. She allowed four hits and no earned runs in five innings, with four strikeouts.
“Reece pitched great,” Weide said. “If we play some defense, even with two runs, that was enough to win the ball game.”
Iola’s runs came in the bottom of the fifth. Zareona Pulley and Miller led off the inning with singles. Both came in to score on Aysha Houk’s single.
That was it for the Fillies offense, aside from Lauryn Holloway’s one-out single in the sixth.
Even with the loss, which drops the Fillies to 0-4, Weide is bullish on Iola’s future, particularly with Murry back in action.
“Like I told the girls, when we make a mistake, we’ve got to get rid of it and be ready to make the next play, because the ball’s gonna find you,” Weide said. “We can play with anybody. We’ve just gotta tighten some things up.”
Iola resumes play Tuesday at Prairie View.
