MANCHESTER — The varsity softball team opened another busy week on the diamond with a Wednesday, June 15 trip to West Delaware High School for a doubleheader. The Hawks won the opener 11-8 with Solon taking the nightcap 5-4.
Solon overcame a 2-0 deficit in game one with a four-run effort in the top of the second inning. West Delaware plated five runs in the third however to go up 7-4. Two Lady Spartans scored in the fourth but the Hawks maintained their lead with two more runs in the bottom half. A pair of Hawks flew home in the sixth for an 11-6 advantage with Solon’s last two runs coming in the top of the seventh.
Ava Stebral and Meghan O’Neill led at the plate with three hits each including a pair of double for Stebral. Hillary Wilson, Izzy Frees, and Mia Stahle produced two hits each with a double for Wilson. Addie Miller and Camryn Keith had one hit each. Stebral drove in three runs, Wilson and Stahle batted in two runs apiece, and Frees had one RBI. Kendall Jensen took the loss with four innings in the circle. She gave up nine hits and nine runs (eight earned), walked one, and struck out one. Zoey Grimm, a freshman, pitched two innings giving up two hits and two runs, and walking one.
All five of the Lady Spartans’ game two runs came in the top of the second inning while West Delaware scored one in the fourth, one in the sixth, and two in the seventh.
Stahle led with three hits (all singles), O’Neill, Wilson, Carly Ellison, and Tiffany Primmer had two hits each with one apiece by Stebral (a double) and Frees. Stebral drove in two runs with an RBI each by Frees and Stahle. Frees pitched the full game giving up eight hits, four runs (one earned), walking two, and dispensing a pair of strikeouts.
24 runs for Solon against Vikettes
The Lady Spartans swept Vinton-Shellsburg’s Vikettes 14-3 and 10-7 Thursday, June 16 in Vinton. Solon took game one 14-3 and closed the night with a 10-7 win.
The Vikettes plated one run in the bottom of the first inning in game one, but Solon scored five runs in the top of the second, one in the third, three in the fourth, and five in the fifth. Carly Ellison and Camryn Keith led Solon at the plate with three hits apiece with a double for Keith. Hilary Wilson and Addie Miller produced two hits each with a pair of doubles for Miller. Mia Stahle, Ava Stebral, and Izzy Frees had one hit each with a double for Stahle and Stebral. Ellison and Keith drove in three runs apiece, Stahle and Stebral each had two RBIs with one each from Meghan O’Neil, Wilson, Miller, and Frees. Kendall Jensen pitched the full five innings giving up three hits and three unearned runs with three walks.
Solon opened game two with four runs in the top of the first inning. The Vikettes answered with two in the bottom half but two more Solon runs went up in the top of the second. Again Vinton-Shellsburg answered with two runs, in the bottom of the third. Three Solon runs were scored in the fourth with one in the fifth. Vinton-Shellsburg plated one run in the fifth and two in the sixth.
O’Neil and Wilson cranked out three hits each, Keith knocked out two hits with one double, while Stahle, Stebral, Frees, Sara Holtz, and Addison Schlote had one hit each. Wilson drove in three runs, frees and Keith had two RBIs apiece with one RBI for O’Neil and Stebral. Frees earned the win with five innings in the circle where she gave up seven hits and five earned runs. She walked three and struck out two. Grimm pitched two innings giving up one hit and two runs (one earned), walking two and striking out two.
Two wins and two losses at Roland-Story’s Tourney
Solon competed in Roland-Story’s tournament Friday and Saturday, June 17 and 18 improving to 12-9 overall with a two win, two loss showing.
Solon fell to North Polk 6-4 in Friday’s games. The Comets scored two runs in the top of the first, with Solon scoring one run in the bottom of the inning. Three Lady Spartans scored in the third for a 4-2 lead but North Polk scored one in the fourth and three in the fifth for the win. Adel-DeSoto-Minburn (ADM) also defeated Solon on Friday 7-2.
The Lady Spartans opened Saturday’s play with an 8-3 win over Nevada and closed out the weekend with a 4-3 win over Gilbert.
Upcoming games
Central DeWitt and Keokuk will visit for a triangular Friday, June 24 starting at 10:00 a.m. Solon will face Central DeWitt in game one, Central DeWitt will play Keokuk in game two, and Solon will close out the day by taking on Keokuk. The ladies travel to Oxford to take on WaMaC West rival Clear Creek Amana Monday, June 27 in a 5:30 p.m. doubleheader and host the Marion Wolves Wednesday, June 29 in a 5:30 p.m. doubleheader on Senior Night.
Camryn Keith produced three hits including a double, and drove in three runs against Vinton-Shellsburg.