NH, Lanesville advance to title games

Four Harrison County softball teams entered this week’s annual state tournament, but as of yesterday, only two remain.
Dominating pitching has powered North Harrison and Lanesville to the championship games of their respective sectionals.
Oddly, each of those clubs is hosting a sectional, and each is now going for a repeat title.
Yesterday, the Lady Cats shut out Scottsburg, 4-0, in Class 3A action while Lanesville held South Central scoreless in a five-inning, Class 1A affair, 10-0.
Corydon Central suffered a 7-1 setback to Salem yesterday and was eliminated from tourney play.
Host North Harrison squares off against Salem today (Wednesday) at 6:30 p.m. in the championship game of the 3A sectional. Tomorrow at 5 p.m., host Lanesville will battle New Washington in the 1A final.
N.H. 4, Scottsburg 0
North senior pitcher Charissa Brooks gave up just one hit as the Lady Cats blanked Scottsburg yesterday.
Warriorette sophomore leadoff batter Lakyn Boyd singled to start the game, but the visitors could not manage another hit the rest of the way.
The only run the Lady Cats needed came in the bottom of the second inning, when Renee Sullivan singled and stole second, and then scored on a base hit by sophomore Samantha Johnson.
North added two more runs in the fifth and one in the sixth.
Brooks struck out six in the victory.
For the sectional, she’s pitched 14 innings, struck out 11, given up just one hit and zero runs.
Emily Smith was strapped with the loss, giving up seven hits in the affair.
Salem 7, Corydon Central 1
A four-run triple by Salem junior Kayla Craven in the bottom of the fourth inning took the wind out of Corydon’s sails in a 7-1 upset of the Lady Panthers.
Craven had a seeing-eye shot down the right field line that cleared the bases of three fellow Lady Lions. As she reached third, the ball was bobbled and she sprinted home safely.
Salem added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth for a 7-0 lead.
Corydon Central avoided the shutout in the top of the final frame.
Seniors Dana Beaven and Leslie Radcliff both singled, with Beaven scoring on an error.
The Lady Panthers managed only three hits in the affair and were the victims of a trio of errors.
Salem touched up Corydon senior pitcher Samantha Fessel to the tune of 10 hits in the win.
N.H. 4, Silver Creek 0
Brooks tossed a no-hitter in the opening game of the Class 3A sectional at North Harrison on Monday night, striking out five and walking none in a 4-0 victory over Silver Creek.
A perfect game went down the tubes in the second inning when the Lady Dragons’ Sam Block reached on an error.
North’s game-winning run came in the first inning after Renee Sullivan singled to score Cortney Thieneman, who had reached on an error.
The Lady Cats got an insurance run in the top of the second frame: Brooks doubled, Shayne Rhodes bunted for a single and Brooks scored on a passed ball.
Later, in the seventh, Rhodes bunted for a single, which was followed by a base hit by Jenna Schneider. Brooke Auberry walked to load the bases and with one out, Ashley Sant had an infield single to score Rhodes. Brandi Pirtle reached on Silver Creek’s second error of the game to bring in Schneider.
Sullivan, Rhodes (2), Schneider, Sant and Brooks accounted for North’s six hits.
Allie Trester suffered the loss for Silver Creek, striking out two, walking four and hitting one batter.
Class 1A Lanesville Sectional
One day after nearly being ousted from the state tournament, Lanesville (22-2) got down to business early and often in a 10-0, five-inning triumph over South Central on Tuesday.
Behind Allison Horton’s three-hit shutout and a 3-3 day at the plate, the Lady Eagles shredded their county rival to advance to tomorrow’s title game of their own sectional. They’ll face off against New Washington, which defeated Christian Academy of Indiana in the other semifinal game.
The only runs the hosts needed came in the bottom of the first with two outs.
Beth Dorgay reached on an error and stole second. Horton singled to bring in her teammate and then stole second herself. The throw from the plate got away, however, and Horton raced across for the 2-0 lead.
In the third inning, Brittany Mix tripled and scored on an error. Horton singled to mark Dorgay, Christina Adkins moved her teammate over with a sacrifice bunt and Ashley Simler knocked her in with a base hit.
Leading 7-0, Lanesville put the game away in its half of the fourth.
Erin Harbeson was plunked and Ashley Royalty singled. Mix came through with a RBI double and Leslie Kaufer followed with a double to score a pair of runs.
Horton added to the two-bag train with a RBI double of her own, and Allison Wolfe singled in a run to give the hosts a 10-0 lead.
South never got on track as Horton fanned 13 batters in the five inning-game.
For the season, Horton’s pitching numbers are simply amazing: she sports a mark of 19-2 with 126 innings pitched, has allowed just two earned runs, 30 hits, only nine walks and a staggering 233 strikeouts.
For kickers, she has an earned run average of just .11.
S.C. 13, R.C. 2
The Lady Rebels plated four runs in the top of the opening frame and coasted to a blowout victory.
South knocked a pair of hits in the inning and was aided by a couple of errors by the Lady Lions (3-9).
A double by Tuell in the second was followed by a RBI single by Schoen and a run-scoring ground-out by Troutman for a 6-1 lead.
Two innings later, Justine Huffman singled in Tuell, who had walked and stole second, for a 7-1 advantage.
In the top of the sixth, Schoen was hit by a pitch, Troutman walked and Hurley had an infield single to load the bases. Amanda Dunn put the ball in play for South, however Henryville’s first baseman made a throwing error that allowed two runs to come in. Troutman later had a two-out, RBI single, which was followed by a run-scoring double by Huffman.
Tuell allowed only one hit ‘ a one-out triple by Courtney Paro in the first inning ‘ and struck out 10 while walking one.
Lanesville 4, Henryville 3
Henryville tried to spin a new tale of the Birds and the Bees, however it wasn’t meant to be as the host club squeaked out the opening-round win.
The Lady Eagles, ranked No. 3 in Class 1A, took an early 1-0 lead on a triple by Brittany Mix and a well-executed sacrifice bunt by Leslie Kaufer.
Henryville broke loose in the top of the third, however, after sophomore Cara Powell hit a three-run double to right-center off starting pitcher Mix.
Lanesville got one of the runs back from the Lady Hornets in the bottom of the inning.
Mix redeemed herself by hitting a laser beam to left, which was dropped by Henryville’s defender. She advanced to second and third on passed balls and eventually scored on an error.
With reliever Allison Horton keeping the Lady Hornets at bay, Lanesville scratched out another run in the next inning.
With one out, Ashley Simler singled. Pinch-runner Beth Glomb moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on an infield hit by Erin Harbeson.
The game-winner in the bottom of the seventh was a one-out, bases-loaded bloop single to left by Dorgay. Harbeson had singled, Aimee Parsons walked and Kaufer reached on a bunt to set up the grand finale.
Henryville fell to 5-12.
Horton slammed the door on the She Bees, retiring all 14 batters she faced over the final 4-2/3 innings, and striking out eight.