Sierra Snavely took one on the chin on Saturday morning, but the Fillies sophomore pitcher was anything but knocked out.
Snavely fouled a ball off of her chin early in game one and admits that she saw “stars” for a moment. Even so, she stayed in the game and delivered some of her best pitching of the season.
“It knocked me around for a minute and I was seeing stars, but I did not want to be pulled out of the game right then,” Snavely said. “I just wanted to continue through the game and do it for my team.”
The Fillies battled to a 1-1 tie until the sixth inning when the Eagles’ super sophomore Kelsie Klamm hit a two-run home run to give Wellsville an eventual 3-1 game one victory.
Klamm is batting .451 with five home runs this season.
The Fillies got their run after a single by Sydney Wade, who scored on a two-out double by senior Riley Murry.
Freshman Kelsey Morrison had the only other two hits of the game for Iola.
Snavely allowed two earned runs on seven hits with no walks.
“She definitely showed some toughness,” Iola coach Chris Weide said.
In game two, the Fillies were able to turn the tables and deliver the Eagles just their second loss of the season in the Pioneer League.
“Wellsville is one of the best teams in the state,” Weide said. “For us to come out and get a split after losing the first game is a testament to how well these girls play.”
The Fillies’ offense got rolling in the first inning when senior Jadyn Sigg — who leads the team with a .434 batting average — doubled to center field and Murry scored all the way from first base to give Iola the lead.
Snavely helped herself with a single to score Sigg a batter later.
Wellsville did what good teams do and responded with three runs in the third inning, but the Fillies — who have been proving lately just how good of a team they are too — returned the favor with three of their own in the bottom of the frame.
After a Sigg double and walks to Murry and Snavely loaded the bases, Morrison unloaded on a pitch with a double to left field and the Fillies recaptured the lead at 5-3.
“I’m always nervous,” Morrison, who is hitting .303 this season, said. “But you just have to say ‘OK, I can do this,’ and hit the ball.”
They built on the lead in the fourth when Sigg singled to score Wade with two outs.
Sophomore Chloe Gardner got into the act in the sixth inning with a double to score Wade again and make the score 7-3.
The Eagles battled back with two runs in the seventh, but Snavely was able to stop the bleeding there and the Fillies had their 7-5 win.
Sigg led the team with three hits while Morrison had two and Snavely gave up just three earned runs.
Weide has been preaching all season that his team would be playing their best softball at the end of the year and the Fillies have been making their coach look like a prophet lately.
After starting the season 1-7 against one of the toughest early-season schedules imaginable, the Fillies are 7-3 in their last ten games and have the chance to finish the season at .500 if they can sweep a three-win Santa Fe Trail team on Tuesday on the road.
“We talked in the early season about how our schedule was and I think that is why we are playing so well now,” Weide said. “We played some great competition and it is really preparing us for Wellsville, Santa Fe Trail and regionals in Burlington.”
Weide also has said he believes this team can make a state tournament run this season. With the way they are currently playing, I’m not going to be the one to doubt him.
“Everyone is really excited to keep going on,” Morrison said. “We are getting better and better each game.”
SENIOR DAY
The Fillies honored seniors Wade, Murry and Sigg, along with their parents, between games.
“They are a huge part of our program,” Weide said. “Where we are now is because of those three.”
