Softball sectional to start Monday
Play begins on Monday in a Class 2A high school softball sectional on Monday, with several changes to the field from last year.
The tourney was played at Cascade last year, and was won by South Vermillion.
This year, Cascade was sent to Monrovia and Southmont hosts its own sectional. Greencastle moved down from Class 3A due to several teams moving up in the recent enrollment adjustments.
What remains after all those changes is the Putnam County tournament plus special guest South Vermillion.
Greencastle (7-15) and South Putnam (11-10) play in Monday’s 5 p.m. opener.
The Eagles defeated the Cubs 3-1 on Thursday evening and beat Greencastle 7-6 earlier in the season.
The Cubs are led by senior Julia Mundy, who has signed to play for Division II Saginaw Valley State next season. Mundy is batting .246 with seven doubles, one triple and three home runs. She has drive in 13 runs and scored 11.
Mundy is also the team’s top pitcher.
Kenzie Horton bats .357 with four doubles, three homers and 13 RBI. Other top hitters are Macy Clark (.323, two HR, three 2B, eight RBI), Layna Robinson (.324, four 2B, 13B, nine RBI) and Mackenzie Woodall (.254, 1 HR, 1 3B, four 2B).
South Putnam has no seniors and starts a lineup heavy on freshmen, including triplet sisters Alex and Drew Steffy, Bree Mahoney-Sutherland, Briona Egold and Chloe Custis.
Leading the hitting attack is junior catcher Drew Bratcher, a DePauw commit who has already set a single-season school record with nine home runs.
Bratcher also has nine doubles, one triple, 45 RBI and has scored 25 runs while batting .493.
Junior Grace Carr hits .314 with one home run, one triple and seven doubles.
Alex Steffy hits .417 with 10 doubles and 28 RBI, while Drew Steffy hits .409 with three doubles and 13 RBI and Egold adds a .307 average, one triple and three doubles.
Alex Steffy and Egold split the pitching duties.
The winner of the Greencastle-South Putnam game will play North Putnam in Tuesday’s second semifinal game.
The Cougars are 7-10 entering tourney play, and are led by senior Chloe LaPierre — who has hit five home runs with 12 RBI and one double while also serving as the team’s top pitcher.
Other top hitters are senior shortstop Mia Runnells (.250, one HR, one 3B, one 2B and eight RBI and sophomore Olivia Haste (.265, two HR, four 2B and 13 RBI.
The teams with the best records entering tourney play meet in Tuesday’s first semifinal game, as South Vermillion (15-7) plays Cloverdale.
The Wildcats won the Wabash River Conference title for the second straight season, and are led by senior Hope Grange — the coach’s daughter who has signed to play collegiately at Indiana University.
Grange has hit three home runs this season with one triple, 10 doubles and 32 RBI.
Cloverdale (16-5) enters the tourney as the hottest team, having started the season 2-4 but winning their last 13 games and 14 of their last 15.
The Clovers won the county championship for the third straight season, and have been led by the strong pitching of sophomore Macie Couch.
Hitting statistics are not available for the Clovers, but first baseman Kiley Shedron (a Hanover signee) has set a school career record for RBI with 100 and junior center fielder Tori Combs has hit 15 career home runs.
Freshman Sky Lowe has emerged as an offensive force along with sophomore Morgan Goss and junior Makenzie Allen.
Tuesday’s semifinal winners will play in Thursday’s championship game.
Greencastle Class 2A softball sectional schedule
Monday
5 p.m. — Greencastle (7-15) vs. South Putnam (11-10)
Tuesday
5:30 p.m. — South Vermillion (15-7) vs. Cloverdale (16-5)
7 p.m. — North Putnam (7-10) vs. Greencastle-South Putnam winner
Thursday
5:30 p.m. — Tuesday winners in championship