Oskaloosa Notches Three Wins in Final Full Week
Oskaloosa Indians
by Wade Steinlage
The Oskaloosa Indian softball team rolled to a perfect week as it prepares for postseason play.
Oskaloosa (25-9, 12-8 LHC) opened the week with a sweep of Pella Monday, winning 3-1 and 14-4. The Indians then defeated Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 9-1 on Tuesday.
Oskaloosa 3, Pella 1
OHS plated all three of its runs in the fourth, courtesy of four hits and one Dutch error. Pella answered with a run in the sixth, but Oskaloosa staved off the comeback.
Ava Vande Wall guided the offense with two hits; the Indians outhit Pella 8-4. Josie Bunnell and Devan Welch each produced an RBI double in the victory.
Alexis Groet struck out 12 against five walks in the complete-game victory.
Oskaloosa 14, Pella 4
The Indians pounded out 20 hits (seven for Pella), including nine in the second inning. In that second frame in which OHS scored nine runs, the team sent 14 batters to the plate and recorded eight straight hits. Josie Bunnell sent a grand slam over the fence in the second, while Maddie Haines added a two-run shot in that series of at-bats as well.
Oskaloosa also managed one run in the first and four more in the seventh.
All nine starters had a hit in the win, including four by Aubrey Miller (two doubles). Welch (two doubles) and Haines both added three base knocks, while Vande Wall, Anna Jones, Taylor Wills, and Ashley Kindley contributed two hits apiece.
Haines scored a team-high three runs, while the trio of Vande Wall, Miller, and Wills all touched home plate two times each. Bunnell drove in four runs, while Haines had three RBIs (two stolen bases as well) and Welch finished with two RBIs (also walked twice).
Hayle Hacker struck out four with two walks in 3 1/3 innings. Groet then closed out the contest with six more strikeouts in the final 3 2/3 frames. Groet only permitted one hit while keeping the Dutch off the scoreboard.
Oskaloosa 9, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 1
The Indians did not slow down the following night. Oskaloosa scored four in the first and then added three more in the second. The scoring was capped with a two-run fifth frame.
The quartet of Wills, Haines, Welch (two doubles), and Meghan Moorman all posted two hits as the Indians bettered the Rockets 11-6 in that department. Haines, who again homered, finished with five RBIs, while Vande Wall and Wills both scored twice.
Hacker gave Groet the night off by successfully working the entire outing with three strikeouts against two walks.
Next Up: Oskaloosa travels to Indianola Wednesday to face Indianola in Little Hawkeye Conference action at 7 p.m. The game is also the regular season finale before the Indians open postseason competition.
