NEODESHA — The Iola Fillies came out a little slow after making the long road trip south to Neodesha on Thursday.
“It was a little bit of a rough start for me, but as time went on in the game, I started to warm up a little bit and felt more comfortable,” Iola pitcher Sierra Snavely said. “Personally, I didn’t feel really prepared for the game, because I thought it was going to get rained out, which was bad on my part. I can’t do that.”
Iola surrendered two runs in the first inning of game one and the score was tied at 2-2, but the Fillies were quickly able to get things turned around and from then on they out-scored the Blue Streaks 22-0 over the course of the next two games to beat Neodesha, 10-2 and 14-0.
“It is always good to play these type of teams, because it is a confidence boaster and helps out our record a little bit,” Iola senior Jadyn Sigg said.
After giving up back-to-back singles with two outs in the first inning in game one, Snavely didn’t allow another hit.
The sophomore finished the game with one earned run allowed on two hits, two walks and six strikeouts.
The Fillies took the lead in the second inning when a Chloe Gardner single scored sophomore Mia Aronson and senior Sydney Wade. Gardner later came around to score on a wild pitch and Iola took a 5-2 lead.
“I love seeing those runs, because when my team can pick me up,” Snavely said. “If the other team gets runs against me, it is so nice to know that my team has my back 100 percent.”
The score should steady throughout the middle innings as the Fillies struggled to adjust to a lack of velocity from the Blue Streak pitchers.
“It was a different speed and different trajectory,” Snavely said. “We just had to used to it and come after it differently.”
The Fillies were finally able to get their timing figured out in the seventh inning and five-straight runners reached to begin the frame, including consecutive hits from Sigg, Snavely and Kelsey Morrison.
The big hit of the inning was a two-run double from sophomore Madisyn Holloway to provide the 10-2 margin of victory.
In game two, the Fillies were able to carry the momentum into the first inning when Wade singled to begin the inning and Gardner had a double had a double before Sigg hit the first of three triples, she would eventually connect on.
The Fillies built a 4-0 first inning lead.
In the second inning, Sigg found space in center field for her second tripe and the lead grew to 6-0.
Morrison led off the third inning with a doudle and scored on a Kendra Sprague single.
