Prep roundup for Friday, April 19
Apr. 19—Eastern's baseball team broke a 5-all deadlock with a walk-off run in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat Sheridan 6-5 Thursday in Hoosier Heartland Conference action at Greentown. J.T. Atherton drove in the winning run with a squeeze bunt to plate Eli Brassard.
"This was a gritty win," Eastern coach Erik Hisner said. "Very proud of our guys. I thought Colt Snyder battled his tail off, pitching out of multiple jams in his five innings of work. He kept us in the game and then our offense grinded out some at-bats in the fifth and seventh innings to help us earn a key conference win. Great job by J.T. Atherton executing a suicide squeeze in the bottom of the seventh inning for the walk-off win."
The game went back and forth. Sheridan scored in the second for a 1-0 lead. Eastern took a 2-1 lead in the third with an RBI single by Ethan Acord and a Trey Beachy RBI squeeze bunt. Sheridan scored two in the fourth and two in the fifth to go up 5-2, but Eastern rallied to tie the game with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Perry Kochensparger and Colt Snyder each had an RBI for Eastern in the fifth.
Kochensparger picked up the win for Eastern, throwing two scoreless innings of relief and finishing the game. He gave up one hit and two walks while striking out two.
At the plate, Jon Warren led Eastern, going 3 for 4.
Eastern improved to 6-3-1 overall and 2-0 in the HHC. Sheridan fell to 6-3, 1-1 in the HHC.
TC 9, MAC 7
Tri-Central built a 7-2 lead through two innings. Mac rallied to within a run at 7-6 after four frames but TC gave itself some cushion with two more runs in the sixth.
Doug Baty went 2 for 4 with a homer and two RBI for Tri-Central. Logan Sargent was 2 for 3 and Izaiah Fowler 2 for 4. Trenton Patz was 1 for 3 with two RBI and three runs scored.
For Maconaquah, Kaleb Shelton was 2 for 4 with a three-run homer and four RBI total. Bennett Isenburg and Devon Murry each had two hits and Jacob Isley doubled. Caiden Richards took the loss, throwing all six innings with four earned runs.
PERU 8, CASTON 2
Kouper Burks and Keyton Ousley pitched the Bengal Tigers past the visiting Comets. Burks pitched five innings, allowed nine hits and two runs, struck out three and walked two. Ousley pitched two scoreless innings and allowed just one walk.
Ryne Butt led Peru's offense by going 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI. Lucas Musser also went 2 for 3 and Jackson Rogers had a double and an RBI.
SOFTBALL
WESTERN 5, NOBLESVILLE 2
Western cracked three home runs to back Lucy George's dominant pitching in the Class 3A No. 11-ranked Panthers' 5-2 victory over the Class 4A No. 13 Millers.
Chloe Linn gave Western a 1-0 lead when she hit an RBI double in the bottom of the third inning. Noblesville used small ball to push across a run in the top of the fifth to draw even, but the Panthers answered in a big way in the bottom of the frame — Chloe Hunt singled, Brynley Erb drilled a two-run home run and Linn made it back-to-back homers as she went deep for a 4-1 lead.
Lexi Dollens added an insurance run in the sixth when she hit a solo homer.
Western finished with eight hits. Linn went 2 for 2 with a walk.
"The girls did a good job staying patient at the plate. We had some frustrating at-bats, but the girls did an excellent job of staying with it and figuring out what they needed to do to have success," Western coach Bart Miller said.
George pitched all seven innings and fired 16 strikeouts with no walks.
"Lucy — what can I say? She struck out nine in the first three innings, gave up one hit," Miller said. "She did an excellent job commanding her pitches and her spins all night long. They ended up with six hits, but they were scattered. She had total command in the circle, it seemed."
Western (7-0) plays in the Ben Davis Classic today and Saturday. In pool play, Western faces Logansport at 6 p.m. today, Bishop Chatard at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Ben Davis at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
EASTERN 19, SHERIDAN 2, 5 INN.
Kenzie DeGraaff was strong in the circle and at the plate to lead the Comets (4-4, 2-0 HHC) to a league victory over visiting Sheridan.
DeGraaff pitched all five innings with two hits, a walk, two runs (one earned) and 11 strikeouts. On offense, DeGraaff and Emilia Andrews each homered. Katie Hendricks was 2 for 3 with a double and four RBI. Elle Winger was 2 for 2 with two RBI, Mackenzea Causey went 2 for 2 with two runs, and Maggie Johnson had two RBI and two runs.
GIRLS TENNIS
KOKOMO 5, LOGAN 0
The Wildkats swept the Berries to continue their unbeaten start to the season.
The visiting Kats won all five points in straight sets. In singles play, Raigan Heflin was a 6-1, 6-2 winner at No. 1, Ellen Callane won 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2 and Claire Callane won by double bagels at No. 3.
In doubles play, Mia Federspill and Avi Pollard won 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1 and Allie Cothern and Helen Qiu won 6-4,6-0 at No. 2.
Kokomo improved to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the North Central Conference.
CASS 5, WHITKO 0
The Kings dominated three points, and won two more in three sets to put down Three Rivers Conference foe Whitko.
Cass No. 2 singles player Guadalupe Gonzalez rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 victory, the No. 1 doubles team of Dixie Wagoner and Maryn Zeck won 6-1, 6-3, and the No. 2 team of Maci Garland and Nia Maroney won 6-3, 6-1. At 1 singles, Katie Hurst rallied for a 5-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory, and at No. 3, Eliana Cicalo won 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-4.
BOYS GOLF
N. CENTRAL 164, KOKOMO 176
North Central's Graham Price won medalist with a 35 in the match at Kokomo C.C.
Mitch McClelland led Kokomo with a 39. The Kats also counted William Nelson's 43, Damian Kunz's 44 and Ashtyn Goff's 50.
CARROLL 190, TC 195
Tanner England and Jay Jankoviak led Tri-Central with matching 45s as the Hoosier Heartland Conference rivals played the front nine at Tipton Municipal. Isaiah Stryker shot 52 and Ethan Tragesser 53.
GIRLS TRACK
NW 60, PERU 54
Lexi Hale was a quadruple winner for Northwestern, leading the Tigers to a narrow victory over visiting Peru.
Individually, Hale won the long jump (14 feet, 6.5 inches), the high jump (5-2), and the 100 hurdles (:17.17). She also teamed with Meredith Kelly, Lauren Fischer and Ayla Jackson to win the 4x100 (:54.26).
Hannah Moore and Courtney Adams were double winners. Moore won the 1,600 (6:25) and Adams won the 3,200 (12:10). They teamed with Leo de Bettignies and Bella Winrotte to win the 4x800 (11:25). And Avery Nielson won the discus (95-5).
"We had a lot of fun," NW coach Josh Perry said. "We let seniors try some new events and that energy carried through the whole roster. We had a lot of girls step up and get points that we weren't expecting. Good teams fight for every point and we saw that."
BOYS TRACK
NW 85, PERU 46
Led by triple winners Jacob Bumgardner, Ryland Barnes and Peyton Tarrh, the Purple Tigers won 11 events.
Bumgardner won the 800 (2:14.67) and pole vault (9-6). Tarrh won the 300 hurdles (:41.88) and tied with teammate Noah Kanable to win the high jump (5-6). Barnes won the 1,600 (4:56). Tarra, Barnes, Kaden Herschberger and Bumgardner teamed to win the 4x400 relay (3:43.98). And Barnes, Bryan Burkhalter, Isaac Everson and Herschberger won the 4x800 (9:15.4).
Nico Puglia won the 100 (:11.32) and 200 (:24.2). Mason Broeker won the 3,200 (10:37.16). And Mychal McGriff won the 110 hurdles (:16.6).
"We picked up where we left off on the pursuit of our season goal from Saturday," NW coach Alex Pier said. "Forty-one PRs on the night is incredible. The men have taken their charge of doing their best every opportunity and are absolutely crushing it. I am over the moon with the team.
"A special shout out to Bryan Sanchez bringing the team together on senior night in a way Northwestern track hasn't seen in some time."
