INDEPENDENCE — The Lady Spartans travelled to Independence Monday, June 2, in WaMaC action, sweeping the Mustangs 15-6 and 11-6 to even their conference record at 2-2. Beckitt Kabela took the win in game one. The Lady Spartans staked the freshman pitcher to a 4-0 lead as Lainey Hinkle, Emerson Miller and Addie Miller each had run scoring hits. Junior Dillon Ostrander capped the rally with an RBI sacrifice fly.

Kabela cruised through four innings holding the lead before Solon erupted for eight runs in the top of the 5th. The rally started with a seemingly meaningless four-pitch walk to Kabela, but the Spartans followed with six hits, including RBI doubles by Hinkle and Addie Miller. Hinkle then relieved Kabela in the bottom of the 5th after a Mustang bomb to right field narrowed the score to 15-6.

Hinkle finished the game with three hits and four RBIs. Sophomore Keegan Kleppe added three hits and scored four runs from the leadoff spot. Kabela improved her record to 2-1 and rapped out two hits as did freshman Liv Nelson and senior Addie Miller.

Game 2 started in similar fashion with the Lady Spartans staking Hinkle to a 3-0 lead in the first with RBIs from Addie Miller, Nelson and Ostrander. The lead grew to 7-0 when the Mustang defense sputtered. A wild pitch and a big error followed a walk, hit and a pair of hit pitch batters to score three runs.

Independence then came to life in the bottom of third, pushing across three runs including a two run single by 8th grader Jordyn Iverson. Head coach Brad Holub went to the bullpen and plucked Emerson Miller to start the 4th but the Mustangs would rally again. A pair of walks, a hit by pitch and an Iverson double led to three more runs and the Mustang crowd came to life down only. 7-6.

Miller would settle down though and sophomore Addie Walter’s two-RBI double reversed the momentum. An Izzy Frees RBI would extinguish the Mustang hopes. Frees ended with three hits, with Hinkle and Ostrander each adding a pair. Kleppe scored three times on three walks.

Hinkle took the win and moved to 1-0 on the season, Miller picked up her first save. The Lady Spartans pushed their season record to 4-2 before facing another conference foe Vinton-Shellsburg Wednesday June 4.