Waco, TX – The Indian Hills Softball team secured its first two wins of the 2025 campaign on Friday, sweeping a pair of matchups on its final day in Texas. The Warriors defeated Dodge City Community College (KS) 9-1 in the opener and Alvin Community College (TX) 9-2 in the nightcap.

The Warriors bounced back in impressive fashion on Friday after dropping its season-opening doubleheader on Thursday. The Warriors run-ruled Dodge City in five innings with a 10-hit attack before tacking on seven unanswered runs against Alvin to sweep the day.

Sophomores Ashlynn Sheets (Ottumwa, IA/Ottumwa) and Alivia Ruble (Lacona, IA/Southeast Warren) secured wins in the circle for the Warriors. Sheets went four innings in the opener against Dodge City with five strikeouts and just one earned run allowed. Ruble followed up against Alvin with just two earned runs in four innings to pick her first win of the season.

Freshman Cassandra Benberg (Green Bay, WI/Pulaski) tallied a pair of hits in each contest while adding four RBI and a pair of runs on the day. Benberg finished the four-game trip to Texas with six hits and five RBI to pace the Warrior offense.

Peyton Raley (Arvada, CO/Arvada West) recorded three hits and five runs on Friday as the sophomore posted at least one hit in all four games during the team's season-opening trip.

One day removed from managing just two runs in two losses to No. 2 McLennan Community College (TX), the Warrior offense erupted for seven runs in the first inning against Dodge City. Benberg provided the spark with a two-run single followed by an RBI double from freshman Chandler Houselog (Dubuque, IA/Dubuque Hempstead). Sophomore Courtney Locke (Bow, WA/Burlington-Edison) delivered a three-run double to extend the lead to 6-0 through the first frame.

Sheets kept the Conquistadors at bay, allowing just one run in the third inning. The Warriors tacked on two more runs in the bottom half of the fifth, including a run-scoring triple from Raley to close out the season-opening victory.

The Warrior offense carried its momentum into the nightcap, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom half of the first inning as Shanna Buford (Donnellson, IA/Central Lee) and Benberg both delivered run-scoring doubles. The Dolphins evened the box score at 2-all with a pair of runs in the second, but Indian Hills answered with two runs of its own in the third, powered by an RBI single from Benberg and a run-scoring triple from freshman Mary-Paige Withers (Le Claire, IA/Pleasant Valley). The Warriors put the game out of reach with four runs in the fourth aided by a two-run single from Ava Smith (Waukee, IA/Waukee Northwest).

Ruble kept Alvin off the board over her final two frames before freshman Hannah Carter (Bethany, MO/South Harrison) closed out the contest in the circle with three scoreless innings. Withers capped the scoring for the Warriors in the sixth with her second triple of the night to score Buford.

Indian Hills returns to action February 14-15 at the SCC Turf Tournament in Burlington, IA.

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