Linn-Mar hosted Washington Thursday night for a Mississippi Valley Conference softball doubleheader and both teams played as if they needed the wins.

Linn-Mar took the first game, 7-6 in nine innings, and cruised to an 8-0 victory in the nightcap.

Elison Ollinger drove in Maddy Ryan with two outs in the bottom of the ninth with an RBI triple to win the opener. Ollinger, an eighth grader, collected two hits and two RBIs in the contest.

“The pitch was right down the middle and the pitcher was throwing like my perfect speed,” said Ollinger. “We just kept coming back and fighting. I was pretty excited. It was my first game-winning hit.”

Alexis Kelsey had two doubles and pitched a nine-inning complete game, striking out 13 and walking one for Linn-Mar. Madison Rentschler also had two hits for the Lions.

“Our defense played well and had my back,” said Kelsey. “I just came back from an injury a couple of weeks ago, so that was a long game for me, but satisfying.”

Kelsey returned in the second game and went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a triple and three RBIs.

“I felt confident at the plate coming off a really good batting practice before the game,” said Kelsey. “Five hits in a doubleheader with four doubles and a triple is an exciting night.”

Kortlan Ollinger, Elison Ollinger and Hannah Yearling picked up two hits in the second game.

“I have been kind of struggling,” said Yearling. “I came with a purpose tonight. I worked with Coach on my hitting and I was focused. I got it done. Now I need to keep doing it.”

Linn-Mar pitcher Maddy Ryan was the story of the second game. She gave up only four hits while striking out nine in a seven-inning complete game.

“That game felt really good,” said Ryan. “I had confidence in my teammates and my catcher Christina Lincoln called a really good game. We were an attacking team tonight and that is the way we have to play.”

“In the first game both teams had opportunities to win the game earlier,” said Linn-Mar Coach Mike Shipley. “Elison hit the game-winner hard and I am very proud of the way El is playing as an eighth grader at the varsity level.

“Both pitchers threw great games for us tonight, and the key stat for the night is that we made one error in 16 innings. At a time in the season when coaches begin assessing to prepare for the tournaments, we are really improving with each game.”

The offensive star of the night for the Warriors was Bria Lenten. She collected five hits in the doubleheader.

“It feels good to hit the ball,” said Lenten. “It helps the team and gives our younger players more confidence and helps them settle down. We have really improved and we are really getting better.”

Dana Riley was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Caitlan Peterson and Anne Riley collected two hits in the first game for Washington.

“We are a young bunch,” said Washington Head Coach Fanaye Wooldrik. “If we could have made one more key play in that first game it could have been ours.

"The effort is always there and we are getting better. When we begin winning the close ones we will have reached our goal.”

Linn-Mar (8-16, 7-9) and Washington (5-20, 2-16) will both be participating in the Linn-Mar/Alburnett tournament starting Friday.

GAME 1

WASHINGTON (6): Lenten ss, 4 0 2 1, K.Peterson, p/ss, 5 0 0 0 0, Bruner, 1b, 4 1 1 0, A.Riley, c, 4 2 2 0, Oler, 2b, 5 1 1 0, D.Riley, dp, 4 1 3 2, Packingham, 3b/rf, 0 0 0 0, Poe, ph, 1 0 0 0, Schroeder, cf, 2 0 0 0, Jonas, cf, 1 0 0 0, Arrington, lf, 4 0 0 0, C.Peterson, rf/p, 4 1 2 1. Totals 38 6 11 4.

LINN-MAR (7): K.Ollinger, cf, 4 2 1 0, Lincoln, dp, 5 1 2 1, Harms, lf, 0 0 0 0, Kelsey, p, 4 0 2 1, Decker, cr, 0 2 0 0, Ryan, rf, 4 1 0 0, E.Ollinger, ss, 5 0 2 2, Rentschler, 3b, 3 0 2 1, Duggan, 2 1 1 0, Yearling, c, 3 0 0 0 1, Bodensteiner, 1b, 4 0 0 0. Totals 34 7 10 6.

Washington  000 510 000 - 6 11 1
Linn-Mar       202 011 001 - 7 10 1

K.Peterson, C.Peterson (5) and A.Riley. Kelsey and Yearling. W - Kelsey. L - C.Peterson. 2B - A.Riley, Kelsey 2, Rentschler. 3B - Lenten, K.Ollinger, E.Ollinger, Duggan. SB - K.Ollinger, Rentschler.

GAME 2

WASHINGTON (0): Lenten, 3b, 3 0 3 0, K.Peterson, ss, 2 0 0 0, Bruner, p, 3 0 0 0, D.Riley, 1b, 3 0 0 0, A.Riley, c, 3 0 0 0, Loer, 2b, 2 0 0 0, Jonas, rf, 3 0 0 0, Poe, dp, 3 0 0 0, Arrington, cf, 0 0 0 0, C.Peterson, lf, 2 0 1 0. Totals 24 0 4 0.

LINN-MAR (8): K.Ollinger, cf, 3 1 2 1, Lincoln, c, 4 0 0 0, Kelsey, ss, 3 3 3 3, Ryan, p, 1 0 0 1, Strauel, cr, 0 0 0 0, E.Ollinger, rf, 4 0 2 1, Rentschler, 1b, 3 1 1 0, Duggan 2b, 3 1 0 0, Yearling, dp, 3 1 2 1, Harms, lf, 0 0 0 0, Swanson, 3b, 2 1 0 0. Totals 26 8 10 7.

Washington   000 000 0 - 0 4 1
Linn-Mar        221 300 x - 8 10 0

Bruner and A.Riley. Ryan and Lincoln. W - Ryan. L - Bruner. 2B - K.Ollinger, Kelsey 2. 3B - Kelsey. SB - E.Ollinger, Duggan, Yearling.