IMS scores 20 to defeat WACO softball

WAYLAND ? It?s a different type of year for the WACO softball team, who is playing their first varsity season after a junior-varsity-only schedule last year.

The Warriors played in their eighth game of the year on Friday and their third home game, falling to Iowa Mennonite, 20-2.

IMS had their best output in the first inning. They scored on a line drive to the outfield but the Warriors made a great play in the field to steal an out.

Kat Adair fielded the ball off the fence and gunned an IMS runner out at third, where Kristen Connelly applied the tag.

Starting pitcher Katie Miles appeared to get out of the inning with minimal damage. She struck a batter out with the bases loaded and two outs. The third strike hit the ground, however, and the Warriors were unable to throw the runner out at first.

IMS capitalized on the WACO mistake and added nine more runs in the inning, to take a 12-0 lead after the top of the first inning.

In the bottom of the second, the Warriors got two runs back, scoring one on a wild pitch and one more on an RBI groundout by Mayme Hinh.

The WACO defense clamped up in the second inning, giving up just one run. The offense however, couldn?t cut into the lead and it was 13-2 going into the third inning.

The IMS bats came alive in the top of the third, putting up seven more runs to put the Warriors in danger of the 15-run rule. WACO?s offense couldn?t muster any runs in the third inning and IMS walked away with a road win.

Miles pitched all three innings, giving up 14 hits but just three walks in the loss. IMS? Avery Blauvelt did the most damage to the Warrior defense, going 2-3 with five RBIs.

Coach Dwain Alvine talked after the game about his team?s improvement over his first eight games, especially offensively. It was the first time the Warriors were able to put a crooked number on the scoreboard this year.

?The first few games we really struggled at the plate,? Alvine said. ?We really had a hard time getting runners on base. Now we?re getting them on base and not getting them across the plate, so we?re slowly improving.?

Alvine says the Warriors haven?t had much trouble with the extra games this year and that the added experience has been helpful.

?They are adjusting fine,? he says. ?We?re playing twice as many games as we did last year because we played one game a night last year and this year we?re playing two (JV and varsity). Everybody is getting plenty of playing time and I think that helps in the improvement.?

The Warriors fell to 0-8 with the loss and will attempt to get their first win tonight (Monday) in Donnellson, when they take on Central Lee at 7 p.m.