WELLSVILLE — The Fillies softball team has been all about having each other’s back all season. Never was that more evident than Tuesday night in Wellsville.
After losing game one to the Eagles 14-4 in six innings, the Fillies put Sierra Snavely in the pitcher’s circle for game two and hoped that the freshman, who had been battling illness, had enough to put the team in a position to win.
With the help of an on-point defense behind her and a big sixth inning from the bats, that is exactly what Iola did, winning 5-3.
“I feel like we really needed it,” third baseman Chloe Gardner said of the win. “It boosted our confidence so much and we really got hyped because of it. I loved it.”
The top two-thirds of the Iola batting order has been unchanged for nearly the entire season and all season they have continued to pick each other up.
Sydney Wade and Ashlie Shields have batted in the 1-2 spot all season and as the two most experienced members of the squad, they have been the catalysts to the offensive attack.
Wade is hitting .404 from the leadoff-spot and leads the team with seven stolen base. Shields is hitting .310 with the team’s only home run of the season.
Following Wade and Shields, in the order, is the sophomore, Gardner, who plays third base.
Gardner is leading the team with a .442 batting average and is reaching base at a 50 percent clip.
“I feel like we are getting really comfortable with everything, because the top of the lineup keeps hitting and we depend on each other. It turns out really well,” Gardner said.
In the four-spot is Jadyn Sigg. Sigg has transitioned from playing second base to patrolling center field for the Fillies. That move has tightened up the entire defense.
“Jadyn is a stellar center fielder,” Gardner said.
Sigg has also managed to hit .365.
First baseman Riley Murry is hitting .367 behind Sigg and leads the team with seven doubles.
Snavely has been a constant in the six-spot as well.
With Snavely being sick, that core group of Fillies stepped up their game.
