MOUNT VERNON — Solon’s Lady Spartans opened WaMaC play in Mount Vernon Friday, May 29th, losing a pair of games 5-0 and 9-8 to the 9th ranked Class 3A Lady Mustangs.

First-team all-stater Hayden Gookin starred in game one tossing a shutout for Mt. Vernon. Solon countered with junior Emerson Miller. Miller allowed two earned runs while scattering eight hits over 4-1/3 innings. Sophomore Beckitt Kabela relieved in the 5th inning and retired five straight Mustangs to end the game. Kabela managed the only hit off Gookin as well preventing the no-hitter in the second inning.

Game two started worse for Solon but turned into a wild one. Junior Zoey Melloy took the circle for Solon and allowed single runs in the first and second on a sacrifice fly and a solo home run. The Mustangs then started the third inning with a pair of base runners on two Lady Spartan errors. Things went south from there as the Lady ‘Stangs managed three hits and a walk pushing the score to 6-0 and leaving runners on second and third with no outs.

Kabela came in again and wiggled out of the jam getting a pair of pop outs and a ground out throwing just seven pitches to keep the game at 6-0. Solon immediately went to work on the comeback bid in the fourth. Senior Dillon Ostrander led off with a single and 8th grader Ashtyn Swancutt and Melloy followed with hits loading the bases. Two groundouts led to force plays at home and no runs, but Miller hit a shot at the third baseman Riley Rasmussen and Mt. Vernon finally cracked when she threw the ball away allowing three runs to score.

Kabela went back to work throwing up goose eggs in the fourth and fifth with help on a pair of nifty plays from sophomore shortstop Liv Nelson.

Then the Lady Spartans took their first lead of the night. Two walks and a Mount Vernon error loaded the bases and Gookin was back in replacing pitcher Kinley Nissen. The Lady Spartans had seen enough of Gookin in game one and Miller immediately knocked in a pair of runs with a hit and freshman Chloe Madura tied the game with another RBI hit. Kabela and sophomore Beckitt Kruse followed with RBI groundouts and Solon was suddenly in the lead 8-6.

Solon’s defense faltered in the Mustang half of the 6th. A mishandled one hopper put a runner on first. She later scored on some heads up base running tagging on an infield pop to close the gap to 8-7. Solon went quietly in the 7th, and Kabela started the bottom half facing the meat of the Mt Vernon order for the third time on the night. The third time was a charm as Rasmussen doubled and junior catcher Brinley Betcher picked up her 5th hit of the doubleheader to tie the game. Junior Laeni Hinkle replaced Kabela, but the Lady ‘Stangs would not be denied. An infield hit and soft hit to right ended the game completing the sweep with a 9-8 comeback victory.

Solon dipped to 3-2 and Mt Vernon remained undefeated with a 5-0 record.

Solon continued conference play Monday at home versus Independence and at Vinton-Shellsburg Wednesday.