The Indianola softball team fell one game short of the state tournament Tuesday evening, falling 3-2 to Ankeny Centennial in a game heard live on 94.3 KNIA. Neither team found much offense through the first several innings, but the Jaguars pushed a run across in each of the third, fourth, and fifth innings to take a 3-0 lead before any Indians response. Mara Bishop finally got the Indians on the board in the fifth with a solo shot, then threatened in the sixth but came up empty to trail 3-1 going into the bottom of the seventh. Bishop got a leadoff single, and advanced to third on two groundouts before an Izzy Sloan RBI single put the Indians within a run, but they were unable to tie the score and their season came to a close. Head coach Stacy Evans tells KNIA Sports it’s an old cliche, but it was within inches of having a different outcome but that’s why the game is played.

“Our girls put a fight into the very last minute, and unfortunately it didn’t go in our favor. It was a game of inches, and kudos to Ankeny Centennial for coming here ready to play and they put the ball in play when they needed to and their outcome is the one that’s on top right now.”

Kate Kralik took the unfortunate loss in the circle giving up just two earned runs and striking out ten. The Indians graduate a senior class of six.

The Indianola baseball team swept Sioux City East in a doubleheader on their home field Tuesday evening, 2-1 and 5-3.

In game one, Casey Stecker pitched a game on the mound giving up only one run in six innings of work. East got up early 1-0 in the second inning, before a Mark Pepper RBI single in the 4th followed by a Stecker RBI single in the 5th put the Indians up 2-1. Pepper came on in the seventh to earn the save.

Game two also saw the Black Raiders get up 1-0 in the first, but Indianola quickly equalized with a bases loaded walk drawn by Noah Johnston. The Indians then scored on RBI singles from Mark Pepper and Cooper Belt in the third, and a solo home run from Kael Kolarik in the 4th to build a lead they would not relinquish. Connor Howard earned the win on the mound. The doubleheader sweep concludes the regular season for the Indians with a 28-10 record and they next play Des Moines East in substate play on Friday.