Braves get first three wins, nearly win their own Bash

Apr. 6—Host Terre Haute South won the first edition of the Braves Bash high school softball tournament 15 years ago and hasn't won it since.

But the Braves were one hit away from potentially doing so late Saturday afternoon, which would have made a great story considering that South entered the tournament Friday night with a winless record.

After fighting back from a 5-0 deficit in one of the two Bash championship games at Miss Softball America, the Braves made their final out in the top of the seventh with the tying run on third and the potential winning run on second. That gave the Roncalli Royals (formerly the Rebels) a 5-4 win and one of two championships.

It was the ninth (in 15 tournaments, remember) trophy for Roncalli, even though Keagan Rothrock (with her several national Player of the Year honors) has finally graduated. It was the first championship for Cascade, a 3-1 winner over Franklin Central in the other first-place game, because it was the first time the Cadets had been Bash participants.

Several new teams were in this year's field, a first-time tournament this weekend at Castle siphoning off some the previous powerhouse teams that had appeared at MSA and also at South and Terre Haute North, but the field remained a good one. An extra-inning loss in the championship game last spring means Roncalli has only won two of the last three Class 4A state titles, for example.

"Too many misplays," coach Dwayne Stout of the Braves, back on the coaching lines after a family health scare. "There were a few [plays] I'd like to have back — and a few [Roncalli] would like to have back.

"We learned a lot today," Stout continued, "who [the Braves] are and what they're capable of. That's what the Bash is for."

"This weekend is always a turning point for us," coach Lela Earley of Sullivan agreed. "We find out who wants to get better and who wants to continue to sit on the bench." The Arrows, ranked 11th in Class 2A (Cascade is ranked third), lost a 1-0 third-place game to Hamilton Southeastern despite a great job of pitching with runners on base by senior Kate Ridgway.

Among other Wabash Valley teams, Terre Haute North avenged a loss to West Vigo in a fifth-place game, Northview lost a seventh-place game to Martinsville and Paris (another first-time competitor) lost a seventh-place game to Edgewood.

Friday results

West Vigo 12, Martinsville 10 — For the Vikings, Parker Auten was 3 for 5 with a double and two runs; Ariana Elkins 3 for 5 with two runs; Jaycee Elkins 2 for 3 with a double and three RBI: Grace Rodgers 2 for 4 with two runs; Jaleigh Lindley 2 for 5 with two doubles and three RBI; and Piper Beeler 1 for 4 with two RBI.

Cascade 5, Evansville Reitz 3

Terre Haute North 6, Northview 2 — For North, Kenzie Zigler and Luci Gibson each had a double and two RBI and Madi Strange and Kara Salmon each a single and two runs. For the Knights, Maggie Krause struck out 12 and hit a two-run homer.

Franklin Central 3, Indianapolis Living Water 0

Sullivan 13, Owen Valley 5 — For Sullivan, Lexi Grindstaff was 3 for 4 with a homer, two runs and three RBI; Jaylynn Hobbs 2 for 4 with three runs; Kensley Wiltermood 2 for 4 with two RBI; Kate Ridgway 2 for 4; Casey Shorter 1 for 4 with a three-run double; Rachel Eslinger 1 for 4 with a double; and Mylee Vandeventer 1 for 5 with two runs. Ridgway also got her 500th career strikeout during the game.

Roncalli 15, Paris 0

Terre Haute South 1, Edgewood 0 — For South, Emma Cesinger pitched the shutout while Izzy Light and Carley Werremeyer had doubles, Light driving in the only run.

Hamilton Southeastern 5, Beech Grove 3

Saturday morning

Evansville Reitz 10, West Vigo 1 — Jaycee Elkins was 3 for 3 for the Vikings.

Cascade 15, Martinsville 3

Franklin Central 7, Northview 3 — For Northview, Krause had a double and Jenna Thompson a two-run single.

Living Water 8, North 5 — For the Patriots, Emma Morrison was 2 for 3 with a homer and two RBI; Salmon 2 for 4 with a double; and Strange and Rayven Wilson both 2 for 4.

Sullivan 15, Paris 7 — For the Golden Arrows, Aphtyn Earley was 3 for 4 with a triple and four runs; Shorter 3 for 5; Vandeventer 2 for 5 with a double and three RBI; Eslinger 2 for 5 with two runs; Grindstaff 2 for 5 with two runs; and Ridgway 2 for 5. For Paris, Morgan Coombes was 2 for 3; Peighton Smith 2 for 4; Bella Moreschi 2 for 5; Klaire York 1 for 3 with two RBI; Mattalyn Carter 1 for 4 with a homer and two RBI; Paisley Reed 1 for 4 with a double; and Jaci Young 1 for 5 with a double.

Roncalli 13, Owen Valley 3

South 15, Beech Grove 0 — For South, Cesinger pitched another shutout and was 3 for 3 with a double and two runs; Lakyn Hadley 4 for 4 with a double and three runs; Lexi Kinzer 2 for 4 with two runs; Kyar McVey 1 for 3 with three runs; and Marlee Loudermilk scored three runs.

Hamilton Southeastern 2, Edgewood 1

Cascade 9, West Vigo 3 — For the Vikings, Lindley was 2 for 3 with a double; Rodgers 1 for 3 with two RBI; and Beeler 1 for 3 with a double.

Evansville Reitz 6, Martinsville 1

Northview 6, Living Water 5 — For the Knights, Jenna Thompson was 3 for 3 plus a game-winning sacrifice fly; Mia Thompson had a single and two-run double; Jaelyn Thompson a single and double; Chloe Batchelor and Addi Modglin two hits each; and Krause 17 strikeouts and a homer.

Franklin Central 5, North 4 — For North, Zigler was 2 for 3 with a homer and Morrison 2 for 4 with a double and two RBI.

Roncalli 10, Sullivan 1 — For the Arrows, Shorter had a triple, Ridgway a double and Hobbs a single.

Owen Valley 10, Paris 1

South 8, Hamilton Southeastern 5, 8 innings — For the Braves, Kinzer was 3 for 4, Light 2 for 3 and Hadley 2 for 5.

Beech Grove 8, Edgewood 5

Saturday finals

Edgewood 5, Paris 3 — Paris is now 6-9.

Beech Grove 14, Owen Valley 7

Martinsville 9, Northview 0 — Each of the Thompson twins, Jaelyn and Jenna, had two hits. Northview is 1-3.

North 10, West Vigo 8 — For the Patriots (3-4), Zigler had a double, a homer and four RBI; Emma Morrison three hits; and Strange two hits. For the Vikings (3-3), Beeler was 3 for 4 with four RBI, Lindley two hits and three RBI; Jaycee Elkins a single and double; Carlea Funk two hits; and Auten a double.

Living Water 12, Evansville Reitz 6

Hamilton Southeastern 1, Sullivan 0 — For the Arrows (8-4), Ridgway and Hobbs allowed just one unearned run and Ridgway had the only hit.

Cascade 3, Franklin Central 1

Roncalli 5, South 4 — For the Braves (3-5), Werremeyer had a single and double; Light two singles; Loudermilk and Marcia Parker a double each; and Hadley a hit and two runs.