INDEPENDENCE, Kan. - The Independence Softball team was able to split a pair of slugfests against MidAmerica Nazarene on Saturday, falling in game one 11-10, before rallying to win game two 10-9, to help coach Samantha Allen pick up her 100th win as head coach at Independence.
The Pirates got off to a roaring start offensively in game one, as they immediately erased a three run deficit in the first inning by plating seven runs in the bottom of the first. The first seven Pirate batters all reached base and six of them came across to score, highlighted by RBI singles from Taybor Rardin, Kynleigh Henson and Taylor Nixon. The Pioneers were able to answer with three more runs of their own in the top of the second, trimming the Pirate lead to just one. Indy once again was able to respond immediately as they matched with three runs of their own in the top of the third, all kicked off by an RBI single from Riley Hayes, to push their lead back to four.
After a pitching change from the Pioneers, the Pirates bats went cold as they had 13 strikeouts in the final four innings and were unable to push another run across. MidAmerica continued to chip away at the Indy lead as they scored one run in the fourth inning, three in the fifth inning to tie the game, and eventually was able to push across the winning run in the top of the seventh leading to the one run defeat for Indy.
Kylie Dennison led the way with three hits, while Juliann Kindle, Taybor Rardin and Kynliegh Henson all had multi-hit days as well. Taylor Nixon also reached base three times and drove in a run.
In game two, the roles were reversed as it was the Pirates who rallied back from an early deficit.
The Pioneers rolled over their reliever in game one who shut down Indy, Mandy Brown, to start game two and she held the Pirates scoreless once again through her two innings of work, helping the Pioneers jump out a 5-0 lead. MidAmerica made a pitching change in the third inning, and that allowed for the Pirate bats to get going once again. After a leadoff flyout, the Pirates' next five batters all reached base with one out, and they were able to break through on back-to-back two-RBI hits from Alexis Yarnell and Kylie Dennison. Indy would then tie the game on an RBI single from Kylar Goins, and would eventually take the lead on an error. The Pirates would push their lead to two on another RBI double off of the bat of Alexis Yarnell in the fourth inning. MidAmerica would answer back and tie the game at seven with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the fourth inning. The game would slow down in the final three innings, as Indy was only able to get one base runner each of the final three innings, all while working out of a jam in the seventh inning. MidAmerica would lead off the seventh with a double but a groundout, strikeout, and flyout in succession would strand the runner and eventually push the game to extra innings.
In the extra frame, with a tie breaker runner starting the inning on second base, the Pioneers would quickly push two runs across thanks to a leadoff single, and an eventual sacrifice fly. With their backs against the wall, Indy came to the plate in the bottom of the eighth down by two.
Riley Hayes would lead off with a single immediately cutting the lead in half at 9-8, with nobody out. After a flyout for the first out, Taylor Nixon tied the game with an RBI single right back up the middle, and would advance all the way to third on an error. After a pop out for out number two and the winning run still standing on third base, a pitch to Alexis Yarnell got away from the catcher, allowing Taylor Nixon to race home for the walkoff one-run victory for Independence.
The win marks Coach Samantha Allen’s 100th victory as head coach of the Indy Softball program, and moves the Pirates to 4-10 on the season. Indy will now have a bit of a break, as they will next be in action March 24th as they travel to take on Oklahoma Wesleyan, a 2:00 pm doubleheader.