Four perfect innings of relief pitching by a freshman and a timely hit by a senior capped a doubleheader sweep for the Marion softball team over Independence Monday night, 5-4 and 2-1, at home.

The one-run wins were a welcome tonic for the Indians (9-13, 5-7 Wamac), who had lost four in a row and seven of their last eight.

“We finally got some hits when we needed them,” said Marion Coach Kim Knapp. “We’ve been having trouble leaving runners on base.

“We executed a lot better tonight. This is the best we’ve done, hitting wise. And we got real solid pitching from all three of our pitchers.”

Especially from freshman Ashley Lappe, who came into the nightcap with the score tied 1-1 going into the fourth inning. She mowed down all 12 batters she faced, including six on strikeouts.

Another three Mustang hitters popped out to catcher Paige Perkins, and only one batter got the ball out of the infield with a weak popup to short center.

“I felt awesome tonight,” said Lappe (3-2), who was on the roster last year as an eighth grader. “It’s probably the best I’ve pitched this season. My fastball, changeup and curve were all working tonight."

It was her 14th appearance of the year, all in relief, and she now has 51 strikeouts in 47 innings. Her earned run average coming into the doubleheader led the Indian staff at 2.93.

“Ashley’s been our finisher,” Knapp said. “She’s got the right mental attitude. She’s able to come in stone cold.”

For Lappe to force three pops to the catcher, including two in one inning, was uncommon. “And it was very helpful,” the coach noted.

Even more crucial was the clutch hit of senior Lauren Rausch to give Marion its 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth in the nightcap. Rausch, who will play soccer next year at St. Ambrose, wears the number 2 on her jersey and it proved prophetic.

With two outs, she worked the count to 2-2 and then dropped a looper into short center field to score Haley Dullea from second base for Marion’s second run.

“I guess my number just came up,” Rausch said. “All I was trying to do was put the ball in play. The pitch was a little inside, and I hit it off the neck of the bat.”

In the first game, the decisive offensive firepower was provided by sophomore slugger Michalyn Mohr. Trailing 2-1 in the third inning, the Indians loaded the bases on a leadoff single to center by Rausch and two consecutive boots by Indee shortstop Abby Goedken.

Mohr, hitting for her a sub-par .354 with just one home run, laced a liner to left to bring in a pair of go-ahead runs.

“I’ve been struggling a little bit,” said Mohr, a slick-fielding shortshop. “I haven’t been getting on base as much as I’d like. But I got an inside pitch and was able to put it between short and third.”

Bayley Fuller singled to right to score Beth Knapp for the third run of the inning. Knapp, a senior who leads Marion with a .417 average, scored again in the fifth after leading off with a double to right and racing home from third on a perfect bunt by Perkins.

Starting Marion pitcher Haley Vanourney pitched three strong innings in the opener, although her stint was marred by three team errors (part of five for the game).

“Errors have been a problem for us,” said Coach Knapp. “We just tell the girls to ‘flush it’ and let it go. I thought they did a good job of picking themselves up and moving on.”

Freshman hurler Bre Smith worked the last four innings of the first game and the first three innings of the second.

She skirted disaster in the top of the sixth in the opener by putting runners on first and second with one out. Mustang pitcher Steph McMillan tried to help her own cause by drilling a liner to right. In a bang-bang play, however, Dullea threw the runner out at home and Perkins nailed a runner at third for a double play to end the inning.

Mohr said it felt great to pick up a twinbill sweep over conference foe Independence (9-12, 5-7).

“We’ve been on a losing streak,” she said. “I think this is a game-changer for us.”

GAME 1

INDEPENDENCE (4): McMillan, p, 4 0 1 0, Goedken, ss, 3 2 0 0, Ratchford, c, 4 0 3 0, Br.Fuller, rf, 4 0 2 1, Kai.Niedert, cf, 0 2 0 0, Versuis, 1b, 4 0 1 2, Nabholz, 2b, 3 0 0 1, Kar.Niedert, lf, 3 0 2 0, Crawford, dh, 3 0 0 0, Henningsen, 3b, 2 0 0 0. Totals 30 4 9 4.

MARION (5): Rausch, 3b, 4 2 3 0, Vanourney, p, 1 0 1 0, Smith, p, 1 0 0 0, Knapp, cf, 3 2 2 1, Mohr, ss, 2 0 1 2, Perkins, c, 2 0 0 1, Ba.Fuller, lf, 3 0 1 1, Brown, 1b, 2 0 0 0, Whitney, 2b, 2 0 0 0, Dullea, rf, 3 0 0 0, Blazek, 0 1 0 0. Totals 23 5 8 5.

Independence  002 000 2 - 4 9 1
Marion              103 010 x - 5 8 5

McMillan and Ratchford. Vanourney, Smith (4) and Perkins. W-Vanourney. L-McMillan. Sv-Smith. 2B-Knapp. SB-Br.Fuller.

GAME 2

INDEPENDENCE (1): McMillan, lf, 3 0 0 0, Goedken, ss, 3 0 1 0, Ratchford, c, 2 0 1 0, Br.Fuller, 1b, 3 0 0 0, Kar.Niedert, cf, 2 0 1 1, Versuis, dh, 3 0 0 0, Nabholz, 2b, 3 0 0 0, Crawford, p, 3 0 0 0, Henningsen, 3b, 2 0 1 0, Kai.Niedert, 0 1 0 0. Totals 24 1 4 1.

MARION (2): Rausch, 3b, 3 0 2 1, Vanourney, dh, 2 0 1 0, Whitney, 2b, 0 0 0 0, Knapp, cf, 4 0 1 0, Mohr, ss, 3 0 0 0, Perkins, c, 3 0 1 0, Ba.Fuller, lf, 3 0 1 0, Brown, 1b, 3 0 1 0, Lappe, p, 2 0 0 0, Smith, p, 1 0 0 0, Dullea, rf, 3 2 2 0. Totals 27 2 9 1.

Independence  100 000 0 - 1 4 3
Marion               001 001 x - 2 9 1

Crawford and Ratchford. Smith, Lappe (4) and Perkins. W-Lappe. L-Crawford. 2B-Perkins. SB-Rausch.