Published: May 20, 2008 12:06 am            

SOFTBALL: M-G eliminates Eastern

GREENTOWN — Eastern’s softball game Monday night was the kind that makes memories which last all offseason.

That offseason begins today after the Comets ended the season with a 2-1 loss to Madison-Grant in the opening game of the Class 2A Eastern Sectional.

“The toughest games to lose are the ones you think you’ve almost got won, and then they slip away from you,” Eastern coach Jerry Haines said.

The clash of No. 2 Eastern and No. 10 Madison-Grant was every bit as good as could be hoped for as the teams dueled through 10 tension-filled innings. Each team put itself in position to win in extra innings but it was Madison-Grant, the home team in this game, that had the final say.

Eastern scored the game’s first run in the top of the ninth when Sara Horner steered a two-strike, two-out, single over third base to plate Kaitlyn Smith. The Comets nearly closed the game out as pitcher Tristan Dykes fanned the first two M-G batters in the bottom of the ninth before Madison-Grant’s Cady Riggs started a rally.

Riggs singled, Bonnie Parker walked behind her, then Dana Runyan singled to the outfield to plate the tying run and force a 10th inning. The Comets put two batters on with walks in the top of the 10th but couldn’t score. When Madison-Grant’s offense got rolling in the bottom of the inning, the Argylls came through when they needed it most.

Samantha Yeagy reached on an error and two groundouts later was at third. When Kendra Stitt drove a clean single, Yeagy scored the winner with no trouble.

Madison-Grant (22-3) advanced to Wednesday’s semifinal round to face Oak Hill. Play continues in the sectional today as Sheridan faces Taylor at 5 and Guerin Catholic meets Tipton at 7. Eastern ended its season at 21-7.

The players who came up with big hits were the heroes, but the pitchers shouldered most of the work as Eastern’s Tristan Dykes and M-G’s Sara Webster dueled.

“I thought they earned it,” Haines said of M-G. “I thought our defense played super. Tristan pitched a great game and it’s just that they’ve got great hitters and they finally put three hits together there. It’s a tough loss, but they’re a good team. I would expect them to be successful in the tournament. I’d be surprised if they didn’t go pretty far.”

Webster and Dykes each had 18 strikeouts and gave up just six hits.

“We came over hoping that we wouldn’t strike out that much,” M-G coach Jay Dunlap said. “[Dykes] is just a phenomenal pitcher and I’m glad we don’t have to face her again.”

Eastern was left to rue its missed opportunities. The Comets got a one-out double from Regan Cole in the second but was stranded at third. Then they got a leadoff double from Kirby Kendall in the fourth but weren’t able to advance her. Eastern loaded the bases in the eighth without scoring a run and ended up leaving eight runners in scoring position for the game.

“Our pattern of not hitting runners in for the first four innings held,” Haines said. “I felt fortunate that we were where we were [getting runners on base] because Tristan was doing such a great job of keeping them shut down, cause normally, that’s it — we just don’t get the runs and finally we give up a run defensively. But we didn’t do that. She kept them off and we got the run on Horner’s single. It wasn’t enough to hold up.”

CLASS 3A

Western 3, Frankfort 0

Western earned a shot at its nemesis Benton Central tonight in second round play of the Twin Lakes Softball Sectional by knocking off Frankfort Monday night.

The Panthers (15-7) play the Bison (19-6) in the 5 o’clock opener, before Northwestern takes on West Lafayette in the nightcap.

“We’ve drawn Benton Central in the first game the last two years and they’ve taken us out of the tournament both times,” said Panthers’ coach Jim Clouse. “We’ve got all the incentive in the world going for us.”

The Panthers had pitching going for them Monday night. Morgan Oilar worked the first four innings, giving up three singles and three walks and Lindsey Clouse wrapped it up with no-hit pitching over three innings that included four strikeouts and just one base on balls.

“Overall I thought we came out a little flat,” Jim Clouse said. “We beat them earlier in the season and ... I know it’s dangerous, but I think we were looking ahead a little bit. We know we’ll have to play better [tonight] and we’ll lean on Brooke Pingleton. Her pitching has carried us all season.”

Western jumped on Frankfort in the first inning when Kristen Larrick tripled down the right field line scoring Brittani Snyder and Brooke Jackson, who had singled. Snyder tacked on the third run in the second inning with an RBI double.

The Panthers did avoid several jams. Frankfort had runners at first and second in the first two innings before Jackson retired the side by fielding grounders at shortstop. In the seventh, two Western errors and a walk loaded the bases with two outs, but again it was Jackson throwing out a runner at first base on the game-ending play.

Class 2A

Cass 14, Manchester 5

In softball, coaches often say that hitting is contagious. That theory proved to be true on Monday evening as the Lewis Cass Lady Kings easily handled the Lady Squires of Manchester in their first round matchup of the Class 2A Wabash Sectional. Midway through the game the Cass bats came alive and disposed of Manchester with a nine-run cushion.

Thanks to a solid defensive effort by the Lady Kings, the Manchester hitters were only able to scatter six hits throughout the game. Amie Sites started on the rubber for Cass and finished the game with six strikeouts to only one walk.

Cass led 4-3 when the Kings blew the game open in the fourth. Krista Weber reached safely on a Manchester error. Jennifer Berlet then singled to move Weber to second. Taylor DeHaven then made it to first on a throwing error allowing Weber to score and putting Berlet on third. DeHaven then stole second while Molly Naphew was at the plate. Naphew then smacked a two-RBI single scoring both Berlet and DeHaven. Ellie Cain continued her hot game when she rapped yet another base hit in her third at bat allowing Naphew to advance on the bases. Naphew then scored when Ally Small reached on a fielders choice giving Cass an 8-3 lead after four innings of play.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.