By GREG MENGELT
sports@newsandtribune.com
April 27, 2008 12:17 am
—
The Clarksville softball team extended its winning streak to 10 games with a doubleheader sweep of Henryville on Saturday.
In a matchup of the area’s two hottest teams, the Generals came out on top 4-3 in 10 innings in the first game, and 5-1 in the second.
With Clarksville coming off a win at Jeffersonville on Thursday and Henryville scoring a victory over Floyd Central on Friday, the argument could be made that two of the area’s smallest schools have the area’s two best softball teams.
“We weren’t playing it up that way, but I would say it (was the area’s Game of the Year so far),” Clarksville coach Tim Hauber said. “(Henryville is) loaded. They have some great players. We weren’t talking about that this was the biggest game, we were just talking about having a big week.”
Clarksville’s 10-inning win in Game 1 was “the big one,” Hauber said, since both teams pitched their aces.
Henryville tied the score in the top of the seventh inning to send the game into extra innings, but Jessica Bisinger created the winning run in the 10th. The junior, who went 2-for-5 in the game, reached base on a one-out single. After stealing second and reaching third on a fielder’s choice, Bisinger scored after being caught in a run down that followed an Erica Martin bunt.
“It was a close bang-bang play,” Hauber admitted. “But she got in there. Martin did a great job of putting the ball in play.”
Kelly Betz, who had two RBIs at the plate, improved to 9-1 on the mound for Clarksville. She struck out 10 Hornets without surrendering a walk.
Amber Wingler was the pitching star in Game 2. She gave up just one run on six hits and improved to 6-3 this season.
Kelsey Becker handled things at the plate for the Generals, despite playing through an injury. She went 2-for-3 and had a three-RBI double to break the game open in the bottom of the sixth inning.
“It was close to a grand slam,” Hauber said. “It landed at the base of the fence.”
Martin also had a double in the win.
Clarksville will put its winning streak on the line on Wednesday at Floyd Central. Henryville will try to get back on track when it hosts Crothersville on Tuesday.
• Jeff goes 1-1 in long day: Jeffersonville’s softball team traveled to Bloomington to play a doubleheader and a tripleheader broke out.
In the first game against Bloomington North, it took the Red Devils 15 innings to beat the Cougars, 5-2.
“They were stressful games because we played so many innings,” Jeff coach Becky Shafer said.
The Devils exploded for three runs in the top of the 15th. Kelsey Sumler opened the inning with a single, then scored the eventual game-winning run on a Cydney Wilcoxson triple. It was Wilcoxson’s second extra-base hit of the game. Erin Harper knocked Wilcoxson home with single. Harper later scored on a Nicole Heuser single for the 5-2 result.
“(Heading into the 15th), the girls said, this is the last time we’re batting,” Shafer said. “It was like they flipped a switch. All five of our hits in the inning were solid hits. Cydney needed that hit. She came up with a big one.”
Jeff trailed 2-1 in the sixth inning, but scored the tying run to send the game into extra innings. Wilcoxson walked, went to second on a wild pitch and to third on a sacrifice. Kim Hensley then had an RBI fielder’s choice to tie the game.
After Chelsea Davis gave up two runs in the fifth, Megan Stirn came in and threw 10 2/3 scoreless innings to improve to 5-2.
In the second game, the Devils fell Bloomington South, 2-0.
The Red Devils managed only four hits, but “we didn’t play poorly. Bloomington South is a good team,” Shafer said.
Jeff hosts Brownstown on Monday.
• Floyd splits in Bloomington: Floyd Central dropped a 2-1 13-inning game to Bloomington South, before easily topping Bloomington North 7-1 on Saturday.
Rena Philpot and Randa Harbison held a strong South team to one run for 12 2/3 innings before a “fluke play” gave the Panthers the win.
With a runner on second and the Highlander outfield playing in, a single hit the lip of the grass between the infield and outfield and over the Highlander outfield for South’s winning run.
“I’ve been on the winning end of some of those, and there’s nothing anyone could have done about it,” Floyd coach Joe Witten said. “We had two pitchers who did a very good job. I was impressed with them. We should have been able to score enough runs (to help them).”
Against North, the Highlanders scored two runs in the first inning and five in the fifth for the 7-1 win. Floyd had four extra base hits among its 12 total hits, including a triple by Katie Phillips. Brittany Bellus, Libby Wright and Jenna Allen — who homered for Floyd’s only run in the first game — all had doubles in Game 2.
“There were four good teams up there,” Witten said of Floyd, South, North and Jeffersonville. “When you play a 13-inning game with only one error between the teams, that’s a fun game to watch. It was a good day, a fun day and we have something to build on.”
BASEBALL
• Red Devils drop heartbreakers: In a rematch from last year’s regional, Jeffersonville battled Castle much closer, but still fell short in a 5-4 loss.
Cody Poole tied the score at 3-3 in the fourth inning with a three-run home run, but the Knights countered with two runs in the top of the fifth.
“It was a good high-school baseball game,” Devils coach Al Rabe said. “Both teams made some mistakes, but it was very competitive. All-in-all, it was a well-played game.”
Poole went 3-for-3 and also had a double. Tony Moore had Jeff’s other two hits, both singles. He also had a home run in Friday’s win over Jasper.
“Cody struggled early in the season (at the plate), but in the last three or four games, he’s really swinging the bat a lot better.”
Jeff will host Clarksville on Tuesday.
• Warriors, Hornets split twin bill: Christian Academy (7-5) and Henryville (8-5) took turns having an offensive explosion, each coming up with a victory in Saturday’s doubleheader.
In the first game, the Warriors had 17 hits — including 16 singles — and beat Henryville easily, 9-3.
Alex Hayes and Evan Strong each had three hits for Christian Academy, and Strong had two RBIs. Five different Warriors — J.B. Butner, Trey Haendigas, Justin Sturgeon, Levi Stewart and Josh McCain — each had two hits for the Warriors. Butner and Sturgeon each scored twice and McCain had two RBIs.
In its Game 2 win, Henryville took advantage of 12 walks to win, 15-5. Junior Kenny Harrell was the Hornet star in the win. He picked up the win on the mound — improving to 1-1 — and had a fifth-inning grand slam to give the Hornets a 14-5 lead.
“That really put the game away,” Henryville coach Jeff Schroeder said.
Earlier, down 5-4, Kiefer Stiffler had a two-out, three-run double to give Henryville the lead for good. Cory Munk had two hits and three RBIs in the win. Trey Dolbeare and Colton Dietrich each scored twice for the Hornets.
Christian Academy will head to Providence on Monday, while Henryville is off until Tuesday, when it will host Austin.
• Floyd Central goes 1-1 on road trip: Floyd Central (10-7) gave up a late 4-3 lead in a 7-4 loss to Bedford North Lawrence, then recovered to pound Brownstown Central 9-1 in the nightcap.
In the loss to BNL, the Stars scored two runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to take the victory. The Highlanders couldn’t overcome four errors in the defeat.
In the win over Brownstown (4-10), Floyd pounded out 10 hits, including doubles by Tyler Amos, Daniel Huhnerkoch, L.J. Martin and Keith Kulwicki.
The Highlanders had four-run innings in both the third and fifth.
Jordan Schuppert picked up the win, improving his pitching record to 4-1.
Floyd will host Louisville Trinity on Tuesday.
TENNIS
• LaDuke-Prusinski go 3-0 for Floyd: While Floyd Central’s girls’ tennis team didn’t have much success at the Zionsville Invitational on Saturday, the No. 1 doubles team of Emma LaDuke and Kayla Prusinski went unbeaten without losing a set. The duo’s closest win was a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Katie Thompson and Claire Madison of Zionsville. Their other wins were by 6-2, 6-0 and 6-1, 6-3 scores.
No. 7 Zionsville, No. 8 Center Grove and No. 4 Brebeuf each beat the Highlanders, 4-1.
Floyd is next in action on Monday at Castle.
• Hornets edge Shawe, 3-2: Henryville picked up a victory on Friday, beating Madison Shawe 3-2.
The Hornets (4-3) won two singles matches and a doubles match. At No. 2 singles, Lauren Clark downed the Hilltoppers’ Haley Jones, 6-0, 6-1. Henryville’s Whitney Guthrie prevailed at three singles, 2-6, 7-6(7-2), 6-1.
Winning at two doubles for Hornets were Kelsey Hughes and Megan Irish. They downed the Shawe tandem of Jordie Fry and Alice Belt, 6-2, 7-5.
The Hornets will travel to Jeffersonville on Tuesday.
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