Solon goes 0-4 against ranked WaMaC foes
The Lady Spartans took on Williamsburg in Solon Monday, June 15, dropping a pair of games to the three-time defending state champs, undefeated and ranked number one in Class 3A.
Game one saw sophomore Beckitt Kabela take on first team all-state pitcher Jersey Metz. Kabela kept it close allowing two earned runs over four innings, but the Solon bats could not awaken, and she left the circle down 3-0 entering the fifth inning. Junior Emerson Miller would enter and toss the last two innings as the Raiders used six hits, a pair of walks and four Solon errors to end the game after six innings 11-1. Kinley Strief (8th grade) had two hits for the Lady Spartans and sophomores Liv Nelson and Beckett Kruse also had hits in the game.
Stats
Hits – Kinley Strief 2, Liv Nelson 1, Beckett Kruse 1
2B – Strief 1
Sac – Laeni Hinkle 1
Pitching – Beckitt Kabela (L) 4.0 innings, 61 pitches 5 hits 3 runs (2 earned), 1 walk, 1 strikeout. Emerson Miller 2.0 innings, 56 pitches, 6 hits 8 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, 2 strikeouts
Game two was similar as junior pitcher Zoey Melloy held Williamsburg to a run through the first two innings. Two runs in the third, three in the fourth and four in the fifth ended the game early however, 10-2. Junior Laeni Hinkle threw an inning of scoreless relief and had one of Solon’s three hits. Liv Nelson had a pair of hits, with RBIs from Emerson Miller and Ashtyn Swancutt.
Solon’s record dropped to 9-7 overall and 4-6 in the WaMaC. Williamsburg remained undefeated at 18-0 and 12-0.
Stats
Hits – Liv Nelson 2, Laeni Hinkle 1
2B – Nelson 1
RBI – Emerson Miller 1, Ashtyn Swancutt 1
Pitching – Zoey Melloy (L) 4.0 innings, 76 pitches, 12 hits, 10 earned runs, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts. Hinkle 1.0 innings, 15 pitches, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts
On Wednesday, June 17, Solon and Grinnell travelled to West Liberty’s turf softball field was deemed unplayable due to the persistent rain. Hinkle started in the circle and kept Solon in the game through four innings with Grinnell holding a slim 3-2 advantage. Solon had a 2-1 lead in the second inning when Stief’s infield ground ball was mishandled and a Hinkle bases loaded walk each plated a Lady Spartan run.
Grinnell would add two runs in the fifth to extend the lead to 5-2 and slammed the door in the 6th. Hinkle would get two outs on two pitches to start the inning, but a potential inning-ending foul pop-up was dropped allowing the Tigers to add five unearned runs and extend the lead to the final score of 10-2. Nelson would lead the Solon offense with a pair of hits.
Stats
Hits – Liv Nelson 2, Dillon Ostrander 1, Ashtyn Swancutt 1, Layla Knazze 1
RBI – Kinley Strief 1, Laeni Hinkle 1
Pitching – Hinkle (L) 5.2 innings, 9 hits, 10 runs (5 earned), 4 walks, 1 strike out. Beckitt Kabela 0.1 inning, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts
Game two looked like it could be the fourth straight run rule loss for Solon as Grinnell jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first. Kabela’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning got Solon a run closer, but the Tigers tacked on five more in the second and Kabela then entered to pitch. The sophomore would settle in however and hold the state’s #14 ranked 4A team to just a run in 5 2/3 innings of relief.
Solon rallied in the third inning. Kabela’s ground out and Miller’s infield hit each produced runs and the Grinnell lead was down to 8-3. The Tigers would add a run in the fourth and the score would remain 9-3 until the bottom of the seventh where Solon would not go down without a fight. Kabela’s leadoff triple gave Solon a glimmer of hope and was followed by Ostrander and Ashlyn Swancutt (8th grade) RBI hits. Junior Layla Knazze and freshman Nora Sanderson would then rap two out hits to extend the inning. Freshman Chloe Madura walked to load the bases, and Hinkle was hit by a pitch to score a run and bring to the plate Solon’s game winning run. A fly out would end the game, but Solon showed some grit that would pay off later in the week.
The loss put the Lady Spartans at 9-9 on the season, 4-8 in WaMaC play.
Grinnell moved to 13-4 and 9-3 in conference action.
Stats
Hits – Beckitt Kabela 2, Emerson Miller 2, Dillon Ostrander 2, Ashtyn Swancutt 2, Kinley Strief 1, Laeni Hinkle 1, Liv Nelson 1, Layla Knazze 1, Nora Sanderson 1
2B – Nelson 1
3B – Kabela 1 RBI – Kabela 2, Hinkle 1, Miller 1, Ostrander 1, Swancutt 1
Pitching – Zoey Melloy (L) 1.1 innings, 42 pitches, 4 hits, 6 runs (3 earned), 1 walk, 2 strikeouts. Kabela 5.2 innings, 71 pitches, 6 hits, 3 runs (1 earned), 0 walks, 0 strikeouts
Lady Spartans get a sweep as they defeat South Tama 18-1, 19-1.
Head Coach Brad Holub used the entire varsity squad Thursday, June 18, in Solon as they defeated South Tama 18-1 and 19-1 in a pair of rescheduled WaMaC games. Game one saw junior Emerson Miller get her sixth win of the year allowing five hits and a run over five innings. Solon’s offense was led by sophomore Liv Nelson’s home run, three doubles and four RBIs.
Other Solon offensive stars included senior Dillon Ostrander with three hits and juniors Layla Knazze and Miller each with two hits each. The sophomore class led the way with Nelson’s performance, Riya Farlinger’s home run and three hits, Hayden Breckner’s three hits and Beckitt Kabela’s two hits.
Stats
Hits – Liv Nelson 4, Dillon Ostrander 3, Riya Farlinger 3, Haiden Breckner 3, Layla Knazze 2, Beckitt Kabela 2, Emerson Miller 2, Mackenzie Craig 1, Chloe Madura 1
HR – Nelson 1
3B – Farlinger 1
2B – Nelson 2, Miller 1, Craig 1, Farlinger 1, Breckner 1
RBI – Nelson 4, Knazze 3, Craig 3, Miller 2, Farlinger 2, Breckner 2, Kabela 1, Madura 1
Pitching – Miller (W) 5.0 innings, 79 pitches, 5 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts
Game two saw seven different players start. Junior Zoey Melloy notched her third win of the season allowing an unearned run and striking out six. Ostrander had three more hits as did sophomore Beckett Kruse and freshman Maddy Bell. Other youngsters Laeni Hinkle (soph.), Nora Sanderson (frosh) and Kinley Strief (8th grade) each had a pair of hits. Solon ran their record to 11-9 overall and. 6-8 in WaMaC play. South Tama fell to 0-16 and 0-14.
Stats
Hits – Dillon Ostrander 3, Maddy Bell 3, Beckett Kruse 3, Kinley Strief 2, Laeni Hinkle 2, Nora Sanderson 2, Ashtyn Swancutt 1, Layla Knazze 1, Haiden Breckner 1
2B – Hinkle 1, Bell 1, Swancutt 1, Kruse 1, Knazze 1, Breckner 1
RBI – Ostrander 4, Bell 4, Kruse 3, Knazze 3, Hinkle 2, Swancutt 1, Breckner 1
Pitching – Zoey Melloy (W) 4.0 innings, 49 pitches, 1 hit, 1 unearned run, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts