PREP ROUNDUP: Harrison hands Logansport softball first loss

Apr. 19—With just one more season left in the NCC and Class 4A, the Logansport softball team still has nemesis Harrison in front of it in regards to conference and sectional championships this year.

Last year in sectional play the Berries had the Raiders down late before the Raiders came back for a walkoff victory.

On Thursday night the Berries played the Raiders competitively again before Harrison came away with a 4-2 victory at Fincher Field.

Playing the Raiders (7-1, 2-0 NCC) competitively is no small feat in recent years. They have been the dominant force in the Lafayette area. They have won five sectional and two regional titles in a row and were the 4A state runner-up two years ago. This year they already have wins over the likes of Noblesville, Crown Point, Hamilton Southeastern and McCutcheon. Their only loss was to Cathedral in the season opener.

"They've got really good players over there," Logansport coach Cory Cripe said. "I told the girls before we started — it was last week — I said we're going to run into some teams here, we're going to find out how good we are. You never know how good you are until you get beat. That's a really good program right there and we were in a 4-2 ballgame, 3-2 going into that last inning. We had a chance to win that ballgame against a really good program so that kind of sets the tone where we could be this year."

The Raiders handed the Berries (8-1, 1-1) their first loss of the season and freshman righthander Brooklynn Hagerty (4-1) the first loss of her career.

Hagerty allowed four runs (three earned) on 12 hits and one walk, striking out six in seven innings.

The Raiders had four hits in the third inning to score three runs to jump out to a 3-0 lead. Chelsea Parker had an RBI single and Ava Mobley had a two-run double to key the inning.

The Berries had a hit in each of the first five innings but left runners stranded. Both teams stranded nine runners in the game.

The Berries put together a two-out rally in the sixth. It started with back-to-back walks drawn by Tatianna Jones and Jocelynn Vincent. Rylinn Spradling followed with an RBI single up the middle. Adrienne Scott had an RBI single on a smash off the second baseman's glove to make it 3-2. The Berries had two runners on and the top of the lineup coming up. Aracyn Good hit a shot but it was right to the second baseman who fielded it and threw on to first for the final out.

The Raiders added an insurance run in the top of the seventh that was a gift run. It included an error that allowed a base runner to reach third, followed by a wild pitch to make it 4-2.

The Raiders brought in their ace, Rylan Gick, to pitch the seventh and she struck out the side. The only base runner to reach was Bella Nicoles, who was hit by a pitch with one out.

Nicoles, a freshman catcher, went 2-for-3 to lead the Berries at the plate. Spradling, Scott, Good, Jones and Vincent each added a hit.

Mobley and Whitney Duell each went 3-for-4 to lead the Raiders. Parker and Ashley Dunk added two hits apiece.

Lilly Kiefer drew the start for the Raiders and was credited for the win. She pitched 4 1/3 innings of scoreless ball, allowing five hits and no walks, striking out four. Dellaney Bossung allowed two runs on two hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings. Gick got the save with a scoreless seventh inning.

The Berries left some room for improvement by committing three errors but coach Cripe said he saw some good signs from his team in that they completed a double play and also threw out a couple runners on the base paths.

"I thought defensively we played really well. We hit the cutoff when we needed to hit the cutoff, we did a back pick when we needed to do a back pick. I was really happy with how we did defensively," he said. "Offensively they brought in their stud that last inning. That girl's averaging two strikeouts an inning. So listen, they bring in their stud, they know that we're right there. You don't bring in your stud to close out a game unless you're concerned that you may not win. So I'm proud of our girls, we did a great job.

"We've been right there with them the last couple games. They know we're coming and it's just a matter of time before we knock them off and hopefully it's in a sectional game."

CASTON 14, NORTHFIELD 1

Isabel Scales homered twice and added a double and five RBIs in Class A No. 5 Caston's win at Northfield.

Natalie Warner had three hits and had two RBIs. Annie Harsh and Alexa Finke had two hits apiece. Addison Zimpleman, Myli Rude and Madi Douglass each had a double. Macee Hinderlider and Kylee Logan added an RBI single apiece.

Warner pitched six innings for the win. The freshman allowed one run on three hits and six walks, striking out five.

PIONEER 17, FAITH 5

Class 2A No. 10 Pioneer improved to 7-1 with a seven-inning win in Lafayette.

Lois Layer had a home run, double, two singles and five RBIs for the Panthers. Kylie Attinger had a triple, three singles and two RBIs. Emma Sells and Addison Kennell each had three hits including a double. Ava Ott added a triple, single and RBI.

Layer allowed one run on three hits with five strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings. Katelynn Haynes allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits with three strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.

WINAMAC 5, WEST CENTRAL 4

Winamac (4-3) handed Class A No. 7 West Central (7-1) its first loss in Francesville. The Warriors rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh to erase a 4-1 deficit.

Makayla Warner had a double, single and two RBIs for the Warriors. Brody Goodman had a double, single and run scored. Isabelle Decker, Linzy Walters and Adrianna Hall each added a hit. Maggie Smith added an RBI.

Sophomore Brooke Rausch had a complete-game win, holding the Trojans to four runs on four hits and five walks, striking out three.

BASEBALL

PERU 8, CASTON 2

Kouper Burks and Keyton Ousley pitched the Bengal Tigers (5-2) past the visiting Comets (3-5).

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.

Caleb Stinson had three hits and two runs scored for Caston. Gavin Mollenkopf had two hits. Talon Zeider had a double. Edison Byrum had a single and two RBIs. Grant Yadon and Ryan Spin each added a hit.

Noah Herd allowed three runs on five hits and four walks in five innings. Lance Hanna allowed five runs (three earned) on four hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings. Eli Holloway allowed one hit in 2/3 of a inning.

ROCHESTER 10, PIONEER 2

Rochester (8-3) turned back visiting Pioneer (3-4).

Noah Miller had two hits and an RBI for the Panthers. Tyler Zellers had a double. Eli Guffey, Lucas Perry and Brodie Howard each added a single.

TWIN LAKES 2, WINAMAC 1

Tanner Coble outdueled Brayden Mathias in Twin Lakes' win over visiting Winamac.

Coble allowed one run on five hits and no walks with seven strikeouts.

Mathias allowed two runs on three hits and three walks with two strikeouts.

Twin Lakes (7-1) scored both its runs in the bottom of the first. Winamac (2-3) plated its lone run in the top of the sixth.

Coble had a double and two RBIs for Twin Lakes. Carson Wagner had a single and run scored. Keaton Miller added a hit.

Mathias had two hits for Winamac. Addison Allen had a single and RBI. Maddox Bucinski had a single and run scored. Cash Roth added a single.

GIRLS TENNIS

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.