OSAWATOMIE — It looked as if the Fillies’ softball team would be destined to settle for a road split in Osawatomie on Tuesday, but then the sixth inning happened.
“We always talk about this team never giving up and we didn’t,” Iola coach Chris Weide said. “This team will never quit.”
After winning the first game 9-1, nothing was going right for Iola as they entered the top of the sixth inning with senior Ashlie Shields due up and the team trailing 12-6.
Shields got the rally started with double to center field that bounced up against the fence. Chloe Gardner was hit by a pitch and Jaydn Sigg reached on an error. All of a sudden the Fillies’ dugout had life. The rally was on.
“We are fighters and we want to win so bad,” junior Sydney Wade said. “I think that is what is different from our teams in the past, because we all click together. We just want it so bad and we go and get it.”
First baseman Riley Murry singled and Shields came across the plate to score.
Freshman Sierra Snavely was next up. She reached on an infield single and the line continued for Iola.
“It is just contagious,” Weide said. “When one person is positive, it breeds from there,” Weide said. “It shows that this team has no give up in them. It just takes one hit to get us going.”
Scout Rush reached on an error and the lead was cut to two runs.
After Osawatomie recorded an out, nine-hitter Katelynn Olsten came to the plate.
The sophomore has become the Fillies’ starting second baseman in the last couple weeks as she continues to gain the trust of Weide. But Olsten is the least experienced varsity regular.
With the outcome in the balance, Olsten stepped to the dish.
“Every game, you can see her confidence level rising,” Weide said.
The second baseman hit the ball to shortstop and raced for first base, reaching on the infield single. Thanks to the shortstop mishandling the ball, a pair of runners scored.
The game was tied by the most unlikely of heroes.
“I was so excited,” Olsten said. “I was really happy to get those two runs scored, because then our momentum built a lot. Once we started getting our bats going, we just knew we weren’t going to lose that game.”
