LAKEVILLE — As one softball program came to an end Tuesday, another began its quest to repeat as state champion.
The first game of the evening at Newton Park was the conclusion of one that started Monday, with Jimtown defeating South Bend Clay, 11-1 (5 innings), in the Colonials’ final game. The second contest saw the defending Class 3A champs New Prairie overcome a sluggish start to beat South Bend Riley, 12-2 (6 innings).
Clay softball's swan song
How Clay’s final game went served as a microcosm of the year for the program.
Down 8-0 through three innings Monday, the game was postponed due to severe weather that rolled through the area. The Colonial players could have easily forfeited the rest of the game, given being down so much and the mismatch they had against a solid Jimtown (18-7) team.
Instead, they came back Tuesday, undeterred by all the obstacles in their way. They showed plenty of fight, too, loading the bases with two outs in both innings played. They unfortunately stranded all six runners, but not before they scored in the fourth on an RBI double from senior Jessica Cleveland, plating sophomore Hannah Jeeninga.
“This group is so special,” Clay coach Katie Rodriguez said. “Everybody else gave up on Clay a year ago. And for these guys to keep coming back and coming back and coming back just speaks volumes of their character, their adversity and their resilience. It’s not easy, and they kept coming.”
Despite having a limited roster, the Colonials went 10-15 this season. Six seniors — Cleveland, Keegan Russell, Camryn Taghon, Abbey Szabo, Haylee Hyduk and Abbey Demler — stuck out the season for Clay, which Rodriguez commends.
“The seniors were great,” Rodriguez said. “We wouldn’t have been able to do it if it wasn’t for the six seniors. I had a senior volleyball player playing center field (Russell) — she came back just to help this team this year. They knew this is what they had to do to field a team and be competitive. Winning 10 games when a school is closing? Pretty good.”
New Prairie understands the target on its back
Things looked tricky for a minute for New Prairie against Riley. An injury-riddled Wildcats team struck first, scoring two runs via a throwing error from the Cougars in the bottom of the second inning.
The defending champs responded with a five-spot of their own in the next half-inning, though, capitalizing on some Riley errors in the process. They’d add two in the fourth, four in the fifth and one in the sixth to complete the victory.
“What I like is after Riley gave a game effort there to get up, we came right back and answered it,” New Prairie coach Derek Hicks said. “That’s what you’re looking for. Even if we weren’t right, mentally, to begin with, we got it together pretty quickly and did our thing.”
While there are some fresh faces in the lineup for the Cougars from last year’s run, others like junior Randi Robakowski, junior Ava Geyer and senior Emily Mrozinski were key pieces in winning a title. They all had big games Tuesday, scoring six of the team’s 12 runs and Geyer pitching the complete game, recording nine strikeouts and only one hit allowed.
“They have kind of a champion’s mentality,” Hicks said. “They expect to win. They don’t expect to lose, even when they’re down.”
High school polls:New Prairie softball climbs to No. 3 in Class 3A
It’s a tough ending to the season for Riley, which jumped out to a 9-0 start before the injury bug bit it. The Wildcats were down their two primary pitchers in junior Kaelynn Howell and sophomore Elliana Gonzales, forcing to convert a non-pitcher in sophomore Chloe Whitmer into one late in the season. After the hot start, the Wildcats finished with a record of 13-13.
“We think we’re loaded for next year,” Riley coach Shawn Jenkins said. “We just have to come out, put in the work in the offseason, lift weights, get stronger and be ready to go next year. But, to me, it was still a great season. From four years ago to where we are now, having been ranked No. 3 in the state before the injuries — we had a great run.”
Note: Both Jimtown and New Prairie played Sectional 19 semifinal games against Mishawaka Marian and South Bend Washington, respectively, Wednesday. The championship game is Thursday night. To see the fully updated bracket, visit ihsaa.org.
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