Indians Snap Three Game Skid Against Pella

by Jamie Brockman

The Oskaloosa Softball team snapped a three-game losing streak with an impressive 11-2 win over Pella Wednesday night.

Playing their fourth game in three days, the Indians put losses to Norwalk and Grinnell the previous two nights behind them and scored 11 runs on six hits and four Pella errors.

Hayle Hacker was credited with the win in relief as she came in for starting pitcher Faith Deronde in the top of the fourth inning. DeRonde pitched three and one-third innings allowing two runs on eight hits while striking out one and walking none. Hacker threw the final three and two-thirds innings allowing no runs on one hit while striking out five and walking one. Hacker came into a bases-loaded jam with one out and struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning. Osky then blew the game open scoring five runs in the bottom of the third on only one hit, helped out by three Pella errors and three walks. The Indians added four more runs in the fourth, again on only one hit, two walks and a Pella error and finished the job on an RBI single from Maddie Haines in the sixth.

At the plate, Ava Vandewall was 2-4 with two doubles and 2 RBI, Abby Braundmeier was 2-3, Faith Deronde went 1-4, and Haines was 1-2. Ashley Kindley scored three runs, Haines and Vandewall each scored two runs while Deronde, Makenna Schaffner, Lauren Coon, and Kiara Bjornson each scored once.

Oskaloosa improved to 9-5 overall and 3-4 in Little Hawkeye Conference play. The Indians get a day off Thursday, but their busy week continues with a home doubleheader vs. Indianola starting at 5:30 pm Friday.