Softball: ND wins second straight softball sectional title
May 24—GREENSBURG — North Decatur grabbed a 5-0 lead over Jac-Cen-Del in Thursday's sectional title game and then held off a Lady Eagle rally to win the sectional championship 5-4.
This is the second straight title for the Lady Chargers. North will host Class A No. 7 Indianapolis Lutheran at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the regional. Ticket are $10 each and can be purchased in advance using the link: https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=81781 or with cash at the gate. Gates will open to the public at 5 p.m.
After a scoreless first inning, North put a run on the board in the top of the second. Libby Crawford doubled to open the inning. With one out, Emma Schoettmer's ground out scored Crawford for the 1-0 lead.
North added a run in the top of the third inning. Kennedy Stier doubled to get things started. Madison Rohls singled to move Stier to third and Sarah Swain singled to center field to score Stier and put the Lady Chargers up 2-0.
With one out in the top of the fourth inning, Schoettmer singled. With two outs, Stier singled. Rohls followed with a single to score Schoettmer. An error by JCD allowed both Rohls and Stier to score to extend the North lead to 5-0.
JCD cut the deficit to 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Kaylin Hinners singled and stole second before scoring on Abbie Schmidt's single. A ground out later in the inning scored Paige Pindell as the teams headed to the sixth inning.
Neither team scored in the sixth and North was retired in order in the top of the seventh. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Cheyenne Cullen singled in Schmidt and Cullen scored on a North error. A strike out of the next batter closed out the North sectional victory.
Rushville
RUSHVILLE — After giving up two runs to Rushville in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game at 2-2, Franklin County answered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth en route to the 4-2 sectional semifinal victory Wednesday.
The Lady Wildcats advance to face Connersville for the sectional title.
Both teams were retired in order in the first inning. Rushville's first hit came with two outs in the top of the second on a Katelyn Asher single to center field.
Franklin County threatened in the bottom of the second. With one out, Bailey Kaiser doubled to right field. Madison Perleberg followed with a bunt single. After a strike out and walk to load the bases, Rushville pitcher Stacey Roberts got out of the jam with a strikeout.
The Lady Wildcats had a pair of singles in the bottom of the third, but could not push across a run. In the top of the fourth with two outs, Rushville's Karma Wilson was hit by a pitch and Makenna Ripberger singled to right field, but the Lady Lions could not score.
In the bottom of the fourth, Emily Fellure singled with two outs. After a walk to Kendal Cain, the Lady Wildcats took advantage of two Rushville errors to score two runs and take a 2-0 lead.
Rushville tied the game in the top of the sixth. With one out, Layla Shepherdson walked. With two outs, Wilson and Ripberger both walked to load the bases. Asher's single to left drove in two runs to knot the game at 2-2.
Franklin County came right back in the home-half of the inning. Bella Lee singled to start the inning. Fellure put down a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Brooke Stang lined to left field to score courtesy runner Isabella Stenger and Stang came all the way around to score to five Franklin County a 4-2 lead.
Rushville was retired in order in the top of the seventh as Franklin County locked up the win.
For Rushville, Asher had two singles and two RBIs. Ripberger had the other single. Roberts pitched six innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out seven.
Contact Aaron Kirchoff at aaron.kirchoff@greensburgdailynews.com
