INDEPENDENCE — The Independence Bulldogs have a great chance of playing on the final day of the state softball tournament for the second year in a row after winning the third-place game last year.
The Bulldogs return eight of their nine starters including both of their pitchers and that experience showed against the much younger Fillies on Friday. The Bulldogs swept the Fillies 11-1 and 10-4.
“Coming in, we knew they are going to be one of the best teams we play all year,” Iola coach Chris Weide said. “It was a measuring stick for us and where we want to go.
“We lost two games to one of the best teams in big-4A and it doesn’t change where we want to go. We have plenty of games left to show where we want to go.”
With sophomore Madisyn Holloway ill and Weide still trying to determine who will be his corner outfielders in the stretch run of the season, the Fillies were able to feature their freshman talent for the first time this season.
“We’ve told the girls from day one, we aren’t worried about our record,” Weide said. “We are trying to prepare for regionals and find the right combination that is going to get us to state.”
After an adjustment period to varsity-play in the first game, the freshman trio of Sadrie Overall, Kelsey Morrison and Gabby Richards provided great production in the bottom third of the Fillies’ batting order.
“We’ve got some young girls that have really earned the playing time so we thought we’d give them a shot,” Weide said. “For freshmen stepping in and playing against one of the best teams in big-4A, they played pretty well.”
In game two’s 10-4 loss, Morrison and Richards led the Fillies with two hits each including a two-run double from Richards in the second inning.
“Kelsey and Gabby hit the ball very well,” Weide said. “It is their mindset at the plate. They are confident and aggressive. If they see a strike, they are going to hit it. We want all of our girls to hit that way… Those girls have the right mindset.”
Later in that second inning, Iola senior shortstop Sydney Wade gave her team a brief lead with a two-run triple to score Richards and Overall and give the Fillies a 4-3 lead.
The Bulldogs responded with three runs in the bottom second inning off of Iola sophomore Sierra Snavely.
Snavely finished game two with six innings pitched and six earned runs allowed on nine hits and one walk.
In game one, the Fillies also took a brief lead when Wade scored on a Snavely RBI single in the first inning.
The Bulldogs answered in bottom of the first with a run to tie the game and then in the second inning, they scored three runs to take the lead.
The Bulldogs kept the momentum going and eventually run-ruled the Fillies 11-1 in six innings.
Snavely pitched five innings and gave up eight earned runs on 11 hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
UP NEXT
The Fillies’ record drops to 1-3 this season going into a road game against Anderson County on Tuesday.
