| Register/Jocelyn Sheets Lyndsi Faulhaber is in position playing defense at shortstop for Iola High’s Fillies. The Fillies split with host Chanute Monday. |
CHANUTE — Being impatient at the plate and a couple of mental mistakes in the field cost Iola High’s Fillies the opening game Monday.
Chanute High’s Blue Comets scored five runs in the fifth and won 7-3.
Then the Fillies pulled out a 5-4 win in the second game of the Southeast Kansas League doubleheader. The split left the Fillies at 4-2 in SEK play and overall.
“We stayed competitive at the plate in the second game, seeing the ball better and making adjustments to get some key hits,” said Vince Coons, Fillies’ head coach.
Iola tied the game at 2-2 in the third. Leah Weir singled and went to second on a wild pitch. Lyndsi Faulhaber drew a walk.
Amanda Carr hit an RBI ground-out. Faulhaber scored on a passed ball.
Chanute came up with a run in its half of the third to lead 3-2. Weir singled and eventually scored on an error in the fifth to knot it up again. The Blue Comets pushed a run across in the inning as well to lead 4-3.
With one out in the sixth, Brandi Preston doubled. Lacy Sigg reached on a two-out error allowing Preston to score the tying run.
Alex Hill, Iola’s pitcher, and the Fillies worked around a leadoff single in the sixth, retiring the next three batters. Hill allowed four hits and hit one batter plus struck out four.
Faulhaber led off the seventh with a base hit. She went from first to third on a sacrifice bunt by Carr. Molly Riebel’s single drove in the go-ahead run.
Iola’s 5-4 lead stood up at the end. Hill struck out the side to end any threat of a comeback by Chanute in the seventh.
“Lyndsi’s base running to get into scoring position on the bunt was key,” Coons said.
Weir had two singles and Preston doubled. Faulhaber and Riebel each had a single.
In the first game, Hill took the pitching loss. She gave up seven hits, walked five and struck out nine.
Chanute scored two in the second which Iola answered with a two-run third inning. Iola produced a go-ahead run in the top of the fifth.
With two out and one on in the bottom of the fifth, the Blue Comets used a walk and four hits to score five runs. Iola was held scoreless for two more innings, losing 7-3.
“We just had poor pitch selection when we were at bat. Chanute’s pitching kept us off balance and we had too many strikeouts,” Coons said.
Riebel and Megan Cook each had two singles. Carr hit a single and a triple. Weir had a single.
Iola’s varsity is idle until next Tuesday when it hosts Independence at Riverside Park.
The Fillies’ junior varsity plays at Riverside Park today against Chanute then it plays Independence also at home Thursday.
