Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – With the departure of five starters from last year’s state title team Regina lost loads of experience and production.

The returners from last year’s squad that won its second straight 2A title have all been asked to carry a little bit more of the load for the Regals this summer.

It was a couple of those key returners that did the heavy lifting on Thursday as Class 2A sixth-ranked Regina picked up its biggest win of the season.

Senior shortstop Gabby Sueppel had a key two-run double and junior Reese Litton tossed seven strong innings as Regina downed 3A No. 10 Solon 4-2 in a non-conference contest in Iowa City.

“I just hopes this boosts our confidence a little bit,” Litton said. “I hope this shows us that we can go forward and we can do big things.”

Litton allowed two runs on five hits in a complete game win and Sueppel gave the Regals an early lead with a two-run double in the third as Regina improved to 6-4 on the season with its third in in its last four games.

Solon had a four-game winning streak snapped with the loss and dropped to 8-5 on the season.

“Hopefully this will help us,” Sueppel said. “It’s really good competition for us and we will learn from this.”

Regina had several holes to fill from last year’s title team most notably at pitcher, catcher and center field.

A few weeks into the season the Regals have already started to come together.

The Regals were solid in all three phases of the game on Thursday but it was the defensive effort behind Litton that stood out to head coach Angela Kessler.

Sueppel made a pair of plays at shortstop, one up the middle and one in the hole at third, that took hits away.

“I loved our defense tonight,” Kessler said. “Our defense is getting better and better every single game.”

Sueppel provided an early boost on defense and then gave Regina an early lead when she drove a double into the left center field gap with the bases loaded to plate two runs in a three-run Regal third inning.

“I just want to hit the ball, put it in play,” Sueppel said. “I just want to get the runners home, I don’t’ care where the ball goes I just want to advance them.”

A four-year starter, Sueppel is hitting .375 with a team-high nine RBI.

“She has gone from playing second base and getting designated player/flexed for my first year as the coach her to being somebody you know is going to get a hit in a clutch situation,” Kessler said of Sueppel. “It’s really fun to watch.”

Regina added a run in the fourth when freshman Libby Nibaur singled and scored on an Avery Kies RBI single.

“Avery Kies is something else,” Kessler said. “I could bat her anywhere in the lineup. Her softball IQ is immense. She knows exactly what is needed when she’s in the box. She just executes so well.”

The early lead was enough for Litton who pitched perhaps her best game of the season on Thursday, striking out one and walking just one.

“Her changeup was working really good, her rise ball was working really good, her location, her spot pitches were amazing tonight,” Kessler said of Litton. “She’s been working really hard.”

Solon cut the lead to 4-2 when Izzy Frees doubled to center field with two outs in the top of the seventh but Litton got Keegan Kleppe to line out to Heather Erwin at third base to end the game.

“Our defense has overall been so good,” Litton said. “I have been so happy and so proud of everybody. I think great things have happened and they will continue to happen.”

Nibaur had two hits and scored twice for Regina and Natalie Gahan had two hits for the Regals.

Solon              000  000  2  –  2  5  5

Regina            003  100  x  –  5  7  1   

W – Reese Litton                                L – Kendall Jensen

2B – SOL: Izzy Frees. ICR: Gabby Sueppel

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