INDEPENDENCE, Kan. - The Independence Softball team ended the season on a high note Saturday afternoon, as they sent off their sophomores with one final win, knocking off Hesston 10-9 in extra innings before falling 5-3 in the finale.  

In game one, both offenses came out firing in a back and forth game where the lead changed hands five times in total. The Pirates exploded for 13 hits and 10 runs, their most since the 30-run slugfest with Allen County back on April 9th. 

The first big lead change occurred in the bottom of the third inning when Indy pitcher Sarah Wrape helped her own cause by driving in a pair of runs with a two-out double, putting Indy out in front 4-1. 

Later, in the sixth inning, Hesston had their big inning to turn the tides back in their favor, as five runs in the frame made it an 8-6 game. Indy was able to strike back and even the score once again, thanks to back to back RBI hits by Kylie Dennison and Wrape.

In the first extra frame, both teams stranded their extra inning tie-break runner as each team went down in order in their half of the inning. Hesston was able to regain the lead with one run in the 9th. Indy wasted no time answering back in the bottom half as a Juliann Kindle RBI double immediately tied the game back up and gave Indy prime position with nobody out. 

With the winning run on second base Madison Wammock delivered her second hit of the day that would score pinch-runner Taybor Rardin and give the Pirates their first win since March 15th, ironically also a 10-9 extra innings win. 

All nine of the Pirates starters had at least one hit in game one, including multi-hit games from Madyson Paxton, Alexis Yarnell and Sarah Wrape who led the way with three hits, four RBI, and threw a complete game and got the win in the circle.

In game two, the offense on either side was not as explosive as game one but it once again was a back and forth game where the result was decided in the late innings. 

Hesston struck first, immediately jumping out to a 2-0 lead after two innings. The Larks lead was up to three by the time the Pirates were able to make some noise, which came in the form of an RBI double from Taylor Nixon in the bottom of the third. 

In the bottom of the sixth, with the score still 3-1 in favor of Hesston, it was Nixon delivering for the Indy once again with a clutch two-out, two-RBI, single to tie the game up at three heading to the final inning. 

In the seventh, the first Hesston batters both reached base and ultimately came around to score, in the bottom half, Indy was able to get the tying run up to the plate but was unable to cash in leading to the two teams splitting the day. 

Yarnell and Wrape had multi-hit games again in game two, along with Nixon who drove in all three Indy runs. 

Indy Softball finishes the 2025 season 5-33.