Crawfordsville wants a win
It is no secret, in terms of wins and losses, Crawfordsville has had a tough year. But, in terms of attitudes and improvement, the team has improved and understands what it takes to win.
As of Thursday, the Athenians’ record is 4-20. But that does not mean they don’t have talented players.
Senior catcher Christina Susdorf has had a good year to follow up her first three good years and has led her team offensively the past three years.
She leads the team in batting average (.475), on base percentage (.529) and home runs (3). The veteran also leads the Athenians in hits (28), RBI (23) and slugging percentage (.831). She has had 10 doubles and one triple this season.
Another talented player is senior Molly Pierce. The starting pitcher leads her team in E.R.A. (7.59), runs (19) and stolen bases (5). Pierce has been the starting pitcher most games this season and has accounted for all four Crawfordsville wins.
Crawfordsville must wait one day to see who they play in their Tuesday Lebanon No. 25 game. The Athenians will play the winner of Monday’s Game 1 between Lebanon and Brebeuf. Crawfordsville did not play either team in the regular season. A win against either team in the sectional would make the season much better.
Southmont ready to wear the crown
Southmont is hosting the 2A Sectional No. 41. Make no mistake, the Mounties are ready to win yet another sectional championship and with their personnel, it can become a reality.
The leader of the Mountie is sophomore Ella Barry. Whether pitching or hitting, Barry has put together another strong season. Any discussion about the Mounties starts with the second-year player.
Barry is highly ranked statistically in Monon Athletic Conference in both pitching and hitting.
In pitching Barry holds a 12-3 record and pitched 12 complete games with 99.1 innings pitched. She has 179 strikeouts and only 13 walks. She has given up 29 runs, of which only nine are earned runs giving her an E.R.A. of 0.63.
Offensively, Barry is batting .554 with nine home runs with 31 hits and 32 RBI.
Barry is more than a one-person show. She has numerous teammates that can help the team bring home the hardware.
Mountie sophomore Kaylee Turner has impressive offensive numbers as does freshman Emily Simpson. Sophomore Kaylee Turner has produced offensively all season. Kenzi Clate anchors a solid defense. Depth is a reason Southmont has a record of 14-5.
The Mounties open sectional play at 11 a.m. Monday against a team, North Putnam, who gave Southmont two of their five losses. The Cougars are 16-4.
If the old adage that it is “hard to beat a team three times” is true, look for the Mounties to work their way to the crown they desire.
Chargers want to prove they belong
After a rough 0-7 start to the season, North Montgomery has won seven games since April 28. At one point the Chargers won four straight games and the players are wanting to get on a streak that will prove they are better than their record of 7-15.
North Montgomery will play in the Delphi 2A No. 37 sectional. They are scheduled to face Renssalaer (8-12) at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The Chargers have reason to be optimistic they can get a tournament win.
North is led offensively by sophomore Sophie Welshimer. She leads the team in batting average (.422), hits (27) and RBI (20). The infielder also leads her team in doubles and triples.
Another key Charger is senior Ella McManomy. The speedster splits her time between track, where she won the 100 M. Dash in the recent track and field sectional. McManomy has proven her speed in instrumental in collecting 21 stolen bases this season. To make matters worse for the Charger opponents, McManomy gets on base 51 percent of the time. 53
A sophomore, Kendra McClamroch, is the main pitcher for the squad. Her E.R.A. of 5.40 leads the team. She also leads the Chargers with two homeruns while batting .333.
The key to success for the Chargers is to limit errors and get timely hits. If they can produce a solid game, the Chargers can find themselves playing in Round 2.
Mustangs ready for postseason
Fountain Central has proven they can win softball games this year. A match-up against Wabash River Conference rival would be a good win in the 1A No. 53 Riverton Parke Sectional.
The Mustangs have a record of 9-12 and their first opponent, sectional host Riverton Parke owns an impressive 17-8 record including 12-0 in the Wabash River Conference.
Riverton Parke swept the Mustangs in the first two games of the season in early April.
Fountain Central is looking forward to playing the team with the best record in the tournament and knows a victory could propel them to the sectional title.
The Mustang offense is led by Jacquelynn Weber. The senor is the team leader in batting average (.449), Home runs (4), Runs (28) and RBI (35).
Other top Mustang offensive leaders are Patience Bixler (.431 B.A.) and Mallory Massey (.407 B.A.). Kailey Daugherty has 10 S.B.
Leading the Mustangs in E.R.A. is Lillie Bennett (5.16). The senior’s record is 4-4 in 14 appearances.
