WINFIELD, Kan. - The Independence Softball team was finally back in action Saturday afternoon, after multiple early season postponments, and split a two game series with Southwestern College, losing game one 13-4 before bouncing back to win game two 5-2. 

In game one, it was the Pirates who struck first with three runs in the first inning, highlighted by an RBI single from Kylie Dennison. Southwestern was able to answer with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the first. Indy would srike again to regain the lead in the top of the second inning, as Madyson Paxton extended the inning with a two-out single and eventually came around to score on an error. The Pirates bats would then go quiet for the rest of game one as Southwestern was able to strike for four runs in the bottom of the third, to take a 7-4 lead, and explode for six runs in the fifth inning to win via the run rule. 

In game two, it was Southwestern who got on the board first with a single run in the bottom of the first. In the top of the third, Indy got back to back singles from Kynleigh Henson and Madison Wammock before a Taylor Nixon single tied the game at one apiece. A two-out single from Juliann Kindle pushed across two more runs for Indy to push their lead to 3-1. The Pirates would maintain that lead for the entirety of the game as a Madyson Paxton RBI double gave Indy some insurance in the top of the fifth ultimately leading to the 5-2 final. Sarah Wrape was solid in the circle, picking up the win going seven innings and only surrendering six hits and two runs with three strikeouts. 

Nixon, Paxton, Henson, and Kylar Goins all had multi-hit games in the win, and Juliann Kindle had a team high two RBI in the win. 

Indy will be back in action on Friday March 7th, for their home opener as they will take on Connors State, a doubleheader beginning at 2:00 p.m. CST.