IOWA CITY — The varsity girls broke even Friday, June 3 at Iowa City West High’s Varsity Classic tournament held at the University of Iowa’s Softball Complex as they lost 11-1 to Muscatine, but defeated Bettendorf 4-3.
The Muskies plated one run in the bottom of the first, unleashed a six-run barrage in the second, and were held scoreless in the third. Carly Ellison drove Hilary Wilson home in the top of the fourth, but Muscatine continued to score with one run in the bottom of the fourth, one in the fifth, and two in the sixth. The Muskies were ranked fourth in Class 5A in the June 3 weekly rankings by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union while the Lady Spartans dropped out of the 4A rankings after having been 15th the previous week.
Wilson, Addie Miller, and Ellison produced three hits for Solon. Ellison took the loss with six innings in the circle where she surrendered ten hits and 11 runs (five earned) and walked two.
Bettendorf entered the tourney with a 1-6 record and ranked 11th in 5A. The Bulldogs bit first with one run in the top of the second inning. Solon responded with two in the third, but one Bulldog scored in the fifth to tie 2-2. Scoreless sixth and seventh innings led to one run from Bettendorf in the top of the eighth, but two Solon runs in the bottom of the inning bought the win.
Meghan O’Neill led at the plate with two hits. Ava Stebral, Miller, Ellison, Izzy Frees, and Camryn Keith slapped one hit apiece with two RBIs for Wilson, and one each by Ellison and Keith. Kendall Jensen went the full eight-inning distance giving up eight hits and three earned runs. She walked two and struck out two.