MANCHESTER — The Solon Lady Spartans travelled to Manchester to start last week taking on #11 ranked West Delaware in WaMaC action Monday, June 30. Solon never trailed in either game before losing each on walk off hits, 11-10 and 7-6, in a pair of heartbreaking defeats.
Game one saw sophomore hurler Emerson Miller start in the circle with a 3-0 lead after sister Addie Miller rapped a two-run homer and pinch runner Harlow Meade scored on a first and third steal of home. The Hawks fought back with a two-run double after a pair of walks to make it 3-2 after an inning. Freshman Beckitt Kabela singled to lead off the second and later scored on an error making it 4-2 Solon.
Miller settled in allowing a run over the next three and Solon tacked on five in the 3rd inning. Freshman Liv Nelson’s single knocked in the first run with Kabela adding a run scoring hit as well. Sophomore Keegan Kleppe drew a bases-loaded walk and sophomore Laeni Hinkle capped the rally with a two-run single making the game 9-2 Solon. Miller helped her cause the following inning with an RBI single to make the score 10-3 Solon after four innings.
Defense was the undoing of the Lady Spartans for the next three innings as the Hawks added three unearned runs in the fifth and three more runs in the sixth on a walk and two hits. After a third scoreless inning, Solon led 10-9 heading to the bottom of the 7th. Miller was removed after the 6th having thrown 134 pitches in the 87 degree heat and Hinkle came in to close the game getting the first West Delaware batter to fly out.
However, a Lady Spartan error preceded a miscommunication in the outfield putting two runners on and a Hawk double scored both runners to end the game 11-10.
Game two saw Solon jump to an even bigger opening lead with the first six Lady Spartans reaching base. Addie Miller’s double brought in two of the four first inning runs staking Hinkle to a lead. However, five Hawk hits and two Solon errors tied the game up at 4 after an inning.
After eight innings and 19 runs being scored, game two then turned into a pitchers’ duel with neither team scoring over the next three innings. Kabela, who entered the game in the second was given the lead when Addie Miller stole home in the fifth giving Solon a 5-4 advantage. Kabela allowed an unearned run in the bottom half and the game was again tied at 5 after five innings.
Solon rallied in the sixth with a pair of walks and freshman Riya Farlinger’s bunt hit loading the bases. The Lady Spartans then appeared to take the lead but were called for offensive interference negating the run. A pop out and groundout ended the inning. Kabela countered with a scoreless bottom half though and Solon then took the lead again with Addie Miller bombing a homer to left center in the top of the seventh.
An infield single, a walk and a passed ball gave West Delaware a chance to win in the bottom half of the seventh though and a one-out ground ball single to left did the trick dropping the Lady Spartans to 16-14 on the season and 8-8 in WaMaC play with the 7-6 loss.
Kleppe and Emerson Miller each ended the nightcap with three hits. Addie Miller and senior Izzy Frees had two hits each with Miller adding three RBI and three runs scored. Game one saw Kleppe, Kabela, Addie Miller, Nelson and Frees each rap a pair of hits.