SOFTBALL: Logan comes back to beat No. 5 Caston 8-4

May 3—Caston and Logansport have played in some thrilling softball games against each other the last four years and Thursday was no exception.

The Berries erased a 4-0 deficit and scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning in an 8-4 win over the Class A No. 5 Comets at Fincher Field.

The Berries improved to 16-3 while the Comets dropped to 10-4.

Natalee Packard recorded the win with six strong innings for the Berries. The junior righthander allowed four runs (one earned) on four hits, two walks and one hit batter with four strikeouts.

"They're definitely a very good team," Packard said. "I had a lot of help from my defense making great plays. I was really proud of my team that we came back late in the game to get the win.

"It's a great win. It's a great feeling."

The Comets, with a lot back from last year's Class 1A state runner-up team, jumped out to a 4-0 lead with a four-run third inning. Myli Rude was hit by a pitch to lead it off. Addison Zimpleman followed with a double off the center fielder's glove for her second extra base hit of the game. Annie Harsh drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Isabel Scales then lined a double over the center fielder's head for a two-run double. Natalie Warner had an RBI ground out to second that scored Harsh. Scales later scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-0.

"I thought we were sitting pretty good at 4-0, I thought OK," Caston coach Jon Burks said. "But hat's off to the Berries. They were patient and put the ball in play and that's what you've got to do."

The Berries answered with a run in the bottom of the frame. Aracyn Good started a two-out rally with a double to left. Kellyn Cripe followed with an RBI single to center to get the Berries on the board.

Those were the only two hits Caston senior ace Zimpleman allowed through the first four innings but the Berries started getting to her in the fifth as her pitch count started to rise.

"Addison, she worked well enough. I don't know if she was getting tired," Burks said. "There for a second about the second inning it seemed like she was catching wind there and everything was moving right. They were patient with her and put the ball in play and we didn't."

Adrienne Scott led off the fifth with a double down the left field line. Zimpleman retired the next two batters. But Good hit a two-out RBI single to center. Cripe followed with an RBI single to center to make it a 4-3 game.

The Comets were clinging to a one-run lead in the sixth when Packard singled to lead off the frame. Brooklynn Hagerty drew a walk, followed by a sac bunt by Jocelynn Vincent to put both runners in scoring position. Scott followed with a two-run single to center to give the Berries their first lead of the game. Rylinn Spradling drew a walk and Evie Kitchel reached on an infield single to load the bases with one out. Good drilled an RBI single to left that got past the left fielder allowing the bases to clear and Good to reach third to make it an 8-4 game.

The Berry hitters said they started jumping on Zimpleman's first pitches which led to the seven runs over the final two frames.

"I feel like she was giving me strikes right off the bat and I knew the first strike she gave me I was going to have to hit and I took advantage of that," Good said.

"The first pitch you could see it right down the middle. You've got to take advantage of the first pitch," Cripe said.

"After that she really locates well I feel like hitting the outside corner," Packard added.

Meanwhile, Packard settled into a groove over her final three innings. The only hit she allowed from that point on was an infield hit by Warner in the sixth.

Hagerty was brought on to close it out in the seventh and she recorded a 1-2-3 frame with one strikeout.

The Berries have a pair of aces on the mound this season. Junior Packard is 9-1 with a 1.43 ERA and freshman Hagerty is 7-2 with a 1.82 ERA. Their innings are pretty evenly split and they also share third baseman duties.

"Brooklynn, she's definitely a great pitcher," Packard said. "We love to have her. It's awesome."

"I think our pitching over the years has been good but this year is definitely better than what we've had before," Cripe added. "I think that having pitchers that can dominate on the mound is very helpful for our defense too."

Good finished 3-for-3 with three RBIs. Cripe and Scott had two hits and two RBIs apiece.

Zimpleman, who is set to play in the middle infield at Division I Purdue Fort Wayne, went 2-for-4 with a triple and double to lead the Comets.

She allowed eight runs (six earned) on nine hits and three walks with four strikeouts.

Burks dropped to 2-2 against his alma mater Logansport. Last year Caston won 3-1 behind a three-hit shutout by Kinzie Mollenkopf, who is now pitching at Huntington University. She leads the Foresters in innings pitched this year and is 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA.

Two years ago Logansport beat Caston 6-5 on a walkoff hit by Justyce Rohrabaugh. Three years ago Caston beat Logan 5-4 in a walkoff victory when Maddi Smith scored following a ground out to give the Comets the win when the current Comet seniors were freshmen.

Burks said Logansport did a better job Thursday hitting up and down the lineup.

"They got the hits when they needed them, bottom line. The bottom of the order is still not coming through like we need them to," he said. "That's where we're going to struggle and if we keep struggling this is the outcome we're going to end up being unless the top puts up double figures every time. I'm trying to figure it out. We had seven out of the nine batters letting first-pitch strikes and I don't know how many times I've preached jumping on that first one not getting in a hole and they're just not picking it up."

Caston hosts Knox on Saturday at noon Saturday in a matchup of the two remaining unbeaten teams in HNAC play. Knox beat Pioneer 8-4 earlier in the week. Burks noted it's a tough spot for the Comets as they have prom night Friday the night before Saturday's game.

Logan hosts Class 4A No. 7 South Bend St. Joseph for a doubleheader Saturday that gets underway at 11 a.m. The Huskies feature the Zache sisters, senior Riley and junior Berkley, who are both set to play at Oklahoma, which has won the last three College World Series titles and had a 71-game winning streak end earlier this year. Berkley is 7-0 and has yet to allow an earned run this year in 52 innings pitched with 130 strikeouts, while Riley is the catcher and St. Joe's leading hitter in most categories.