SOLON– Sometimes the outcome of an athletic contest is easily predicted before it starts. Such was the case Tuesday, July 6, when the Solon Lady Spartans faced the South Tama Trojans in a Class 3A regional first round game, at home. Solon entered the contest with a 24-12 record against the Trojans’ 4-33 and needed just three innings to dispose of the Trojans and advance to the semifinals.
Hilary Wilson got things started with a lead-off, stand-up double in the bottom of the first inning. Monet Barnhouse drove her in with a single, sparking a six-run inning. Two runs scored on Kendall Jensen’s single with an extra base to make it 3-0, Carly Ellison and Addie Miller drove in a run apiece to go up 5-0, while Ava Stebral singled to load the bases. Wilson, in her second appearance at the plate in the inning, hammered an RBI single for a 6-0 lead with one out. Unfortunately, Camryn Keith hit into a double play, ending the inning.
The second inning was a scoreless affair for both teams. Jensen nearly had a homer, but the ball drifted left of the foul line on it’s way out of the park. The Trojans loaded the bases in the top of the third and all three runners stranded in the setting sun. Miller opened Solon’s half of the inning with a single with South Tama’s ball handling goofs allowing her to scamper all the way to third base, before coming home on a Stebral single. A single by Wilson and Keith walking loaded the bases with no outs as Barnhouse stepped to the plate and delivered a two-RBI single, making it 9-0. Sarah Heick knocked a two-run single, making it 11-0, and an RBI single by Jensen scored Claire LaDage ending the contest at 12-0.
Unofficially, Solon had 16 hits and no errors, while the Trojans mustered four hits and committed seven errors.
Jensen took the win on the mound.
The Trojans ended the 2021 season with a 4-34 record, while Solon improved to 25-12.
Solon 12, South Tama 0
Hits— Hilary Wilson 3, Monet Barnhouse 3, Sarah Heick 2, Kendall Jensen 2, Addie Miller 2, Ava Stebral 2, Tiffany Primmer 1, Carly Ellison 1.
Singles— Barnhouse 3, Wilson 2, Jensen 2, Miller 2, Stebral 2, Primmer 1, Ellison 1.
Doubles— Heick 2, Wilson 1.
RBI— Barnhouse 3, Jensen 3, Heick 2, Wilson 1, Ellison 1, Miller 1, Stebral 1.
Kendall Jensen delivers a pitch in the top of the first inning. Jensen pitched all three innings of the mercy-rule-shortened contest, ending in a 12-0 win for the Lady Spartans.