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CLAY CITY SOFTBALL SECTIONAL: Clovers see sectional run end as Eels win third-straight title
CLAY CITY – Cloverdale’s defense had shown the kind of improvement needed to reach a sectional final in its first two games at IHSAA Class A Sectional No. 53.
Hosts Clay City simply beat the Clover defense with better offense, pounding out 13 hits in five innings as part of a 16-0 win, the Eels’ third-straight sectional title.
"I am really proud of the girls in the successes and improvements we've had this season,” Cloverdale head coach Jamie Steffy said. “With a new coach coming in, a new philosophy and our team basically starting from scratch, plus coming off a one win season last year, I am very happy with the strides we have made."
"Give (Clay City) all the credit. They are a really good team. Coach (Jason) Sinders is a good friend of mine and he's got that program rolling right now. They're going to be a tough out in a class 1a tournament."
As the away team, Clay City was able to strike first as a sac fly and a combo of would pitches and passed balls allowed three runs to score, setting the table for the night with a 4-0 lead.
Lizzy Sinders struck out the side in the bottom of the first and the Eels were quickly back to work with an error and fielder’s choice adding two runs to the ledger.
Andrea Nees singled to lead off the bottom of the second and Callie Smith drew a walk but two more strikeouts ended the threat.
A sac bunt got the scoring going in the third before a pair of walks and a wild pitch brought in three more runs.
Hannah Harris plated two more runs with a single and Koehler finished the scoring with an RBI double to make it 13-0 after three innings.
Erin Johnson notched a single for the visitors in the bottom of the inning but a pop out and ground out left her at first base.
Cloverdale did show some of its defensive capabilities, getting an out off a dropped third strike before Johnson had an unassisted lineout double play.
The bats couldn’t find a way to reach Sinders, however, and a three-run Harris home run in the fifth capped off Clay City’s third sectional in a row with Sinders inducing three ground outs to finish the game.
Cloverdale finished the season with a 7-18 record and 1-9 in WIC play but Steffy said the strides the team took over the course of the season were evident in reaching the sectional final itself.
"I thought we played hard,” Steffy said about the loss. “We definitely weren't as sharp defensively as we've been the last few nights and we couldn't string together enough hard hits, but I think that had that had a lot to do with Clay City. But we battled and we hung in there"
"We are totally disappointed in the result tonight, but we are not disappointed in where our program is headed. We are definitely going in the right direction. I told the girls 85 teams started in Class A Monday night and by Thursday there were 16 left and we were one of them playing for a sectional championship.
“That is something definitely to build on heading into next season."
Clay City 427 03 — 16 13 0
Cloverdale 000 00 — 0 2 2
WP — Sinders 5 IP, 2 H, BB, 8 K
LP — Caulkins 2 2/3 IP, 6 H, 13 R (9 ER), 3 BB, K
HR — Harris
3B — Sinders
2B — Koehler (2), Sinders (2), Smith
RBI — Harris (5), Thompson (2), Mitchell (2), Koehler (2), Shearer