Osgood Journal Sports
June 5, 2007

Jac-Cen-Del Lady Eagle softball team is
semi-state bound

Gary Franklin - Sports Editor
The Lady Eagles behind Coach Brian Samples captured their sectional victory while delivering their coach his 100th career win. Saturday, June 2, was not about the coach, but about the goal desired at the end of the day, a right to compete in the 2007 Semi-State.
Mission accomplished. The Lady Eagles made themselves known loud and clear with exciting play during both regional games played at the Hauser High Schools back softball field complex.
The opening game of the day was between hosting Hauser Lady Jets and the Henryville Lady Hornets. The Hornets won 3-2.
The Lady Eagles first opponent was the Springs Valley Lady Blackhawks. The Lady Eagles took the victory by a final score of 5-3.
The championship match between the Lady Eagles and the Henryville Lady Hornets was played to a JCD 7-1 victory by the Lady Eagles, propelling them to the semi-state.
JCD vs Springs Valley
Abby Lauber pitched for the Lady Eagles, striking out the first Lady Blackhawk batter. The second batter drew a walk but was gunned down trying to steal second. The third out was result of a fly out to Valorie Wagner in center field.
Valorie Wagner scored the first Lady Eagle run of the day, after leading off with a single. She was driven home off a double by Kristen Hicks. Hicks was thrown out from the outfield trying to stretch the double into a triple. 1-0 Lady Eagles after 1 inning of play.
Neither team scored in the second inning, and the Lady Eagles held the Blackhawks in the top of the third as well. The Lady Eagles added 3 runs in their 3rd inning at bat behind a triple by Wagner, Hicks reaching on a passed ball, a single and stolen base by Kiersten Young and a double by pitcher Abby Lauber. 4-0 Lady Eagles were up.
In the top of the 4th, the Lady Blackhawks rallied to score 3 before the Lady Eagles could shut them down. A triple by Lady Eagle Kaylin Ploeger leading off the JCD's 4th battery resulted in a score off a Carissa Simon single.
The Lady Eagles held on to the 5-3 margin for the win and right to play the championship game against the Henryville Hornets at 7 PM.
Lady Eagles vs Lady Hornets
The Lady Eagles marched steadily to a 6-1 sectional championship title game victory over the Henryville Lady Hornets, only allowing the competition to score off errors in the top of the 7th and final inning.
The Lady Eagles were scoreless in the 1st inning, but rallied to put 4 on the board in the 2nd. Kaylin Ploeger reached first off a Lady Hornet error, Kara Harlemert singled and stole second base. Abby Rohlfing's FC forced Ploeger out. Carissa Simon drew a walk which loaded the bases with 2 out to put Lady Eagle center fielder Valorie Wagner on deck.
Wagner nailed the pitch for a triple, to clear the bases, and stole home on the Lady Hornet throwing error giving JCD a 4 run lead. The inning ended with the Lady Eagles in control at 4-0.
The Lady Eagles added 2 more runs in the 4th inning. Harlemert doubled, then stretched it into a triple with the center fielder's bobble. Carissa Simon singled to put runners on the corners. Valorie Wagner singled driving home both Harlemert and Simon and advanced to second when the Hornet throw went to the plate. Hicks struck out which ended the inning with the Lady Eagles up 6-0.
Neither team scored during the 5th or 6th innings. The Lady Hornets however, scored their only run of the game during their at bat in the top of the 7th inning, after a couple of Lady Eagle fielding errors.
Lady Eagle Abby Lauber's pitching stats through 14 innings of play on Saturday, June 2 were, facing 60 batters while only allowing 5 runs off 9 hits with the team only committing 4 errors during the two games. Lauber walked 3 batters, hit 1 and struck out 10. Of the hits allowed, they included 7 singles, a double and a triple.

GARY FRANKLIN PHOTO Prouder than the NBC peacock, the Jac-Cen-Del Lady Eagles march off the field sensing the feeling of knowing they played well and earned the victory and the opportunity to move on up the ladder. Good job ladies and good luck in Indy!

 

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Raiders capture sectional #45 crown, slamming gate shut on Pacers 19-2

Gary Franklin, Sports Editor

South Ripley Raider baseball team locked their Class 2A Sectional #45 win with a resounding 19-2 thumping of the Switzerland County Pacers during the championship game on Friday evening, June 1.
Russ Steinhauer led off the batting lineup for the Raiders opening at bat with a monster smash that carried not only over the outfield fence, but cleared the equipment barns roof. Many Pacer fans suggested that it was the farthest hit baseball ever shot out of the SC ball park.
The second Raider to take his place in the batters box was BJ Sieverding who doubled. Michael Fear drew the walk and Cory Yeomans singled to drive in Sieverding for the second Raider score. Eric Landwehr singled for 2 RBI's, as Fear and Yeomans both scored. Jared Keck's FC forced Landwehr out for the first of the game. Josh Cumberworth flew out to second and Brian Thomas followed suite with a fly out to shortstop, ending the top of the 1st, with SR 4 and the SC to come to bat.
SR Raider lineup vs SC Pacers
Michael Fear - Pitcher
Josh Cumberworth - Catcher
Kyle Patrick - 1st Baseman
Brian Thomas - 2nd Baseman
Jared Keck - 3rd Baseman
BJ Sieverding - Short Stop
Eric Landwehr - Left Field
Russ Steinhauer - Center Field
Cory Yeomans - Right Field
Thomas Welch - DH
The Pacers were taken down 1-2-3 at bat with Fear striking out 2 of the 3 batters.
Thomas Welch led off the second inning for the Raiders and was hit by a pitch. Steinhauer ended up on second following a Pacer CF error. Sieverding drove 2 runs home with the error by SC in right field. Fear singled past short to score Sieverding, which led to a Pacer pitching change with the score 7-0 Raiders.
As the game resumed, Yeomans drew a walk, Landwehr struck out, Keck hit a solid single, loading the bases, but, Cumberworth hit into a well executed Pacer double play to end the inning.
Again, Fear struck 2 of the 3 batters faced out, taking away any chance of Pacer comeback.
In the Raider 3rd inning, Thomas drew a walk, Welch went down on strikes, Steinhauer flew out to center field, Sieverding walked and Fear singled to load the bases for Yeomans. The walk to Yeomans drove a run in for SR and reloaded the bases. Landwehr drew a walk, scoring another Raider run and leaving the bases again loaded. Keck's at bat ended the inning with a pitcher to first fielders choice, but the Raiders now led 9-0.
Fear shot down 2 of 3 Pacer batters in the bottom of the 3rd with strike outs, leaving the score, SR 9-0 SC.
Cumberworth went down to strikes to open the Raider 4th. Thomas, Welch, Steinhauer and Sieverding each singled adding 2 more Raider runs, which led to another Pacer pitching change.
Prior to resuming, Raider Andy Miller replaced Fear on first base to run. In continuing, Yeomans flew out to left field, allowing Steinhauer to score. Landwehr singled, driving Sieverding home. Keck singled to score Miller. Cumberworth doubled, taking the Raider score to 16-0. Thomas was hit by a pitch and Patrick' reached on an E4, loading the bases for SR, however a deep hit fly ball by Steinhauer was run down by the Pacer center fielder to end the inning with the bases loaded.
The Pacers at bat in the 4th were taken down again 1-2-3 with a Fear strike out and 2 unassisted ground outs to Patrick at first base.
Sieverding led off the Raider 5th with a single, Fear drew a 4-0 walk and Yeomans blasted a shot for a ground rule double to center field scoring Sieverding. Landwehr hit to the Pacer second baseman collecting an error and than a wild throw to first allowed both Raider runners to score for a 19-0 lead. Keck followed, reaching on an error by the first baseman. A strike out by Cumberworth and fly outs to first by Thomas and Patrick ended the Raider at bat.
South Ripley sent senior Tim Burcham to the mound for the closer in the bottom half of the 5th . His first pitch crossed the plate for a called strike, the second a ball and the third was lofted over the left field fence for a home run and the first score of the game for the Pacers. The second batter Burcham faced drew a 4-1 walk. The third batter hit into what should have been a routine double play at the short stop but took an over the head bounce off from something putting 2 Pacers on base with no outs.
Pacer Moore hit into a FC double play, 1-6-3, but drove a second score across the plate for the Pacers. With 2 down, Burcham got the last Pacer batter to fly out to Sieverding at short stop, ending the game with the 10-run after 5 inning rule with the final score South Ripley Raiders 19-2 Switzerland County Pacers.
In a final footnote of the games outcome, Pacers can be proud of their accomplishment as this was the first time in 25 years a Pacer team has made it to the Sectional championship game.

GARY FRANKLIN PHOTO South Ripley Raider freshman/sophomore second baseman Brian Thomas with a 3-0 count is hit by the pitch during the Raider 4th inning at bat.

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SR Raiders take the Milan Indians for a sectional #45 championship title shot

Gary Franklin, Sports Editor

The South Ripley Raider varsity baseball team advanced to the championship round of sectional #45 by defeating the Milan Indians by a final score of 7-1 on Wednesday, May 30.
In the opener of the evening, the hosting SC Pacers defeated the Lawrenceburg Tigers 6-3 to earn a bid to the championship match on Friday night at 6 PM. against the South Ripley Raiders.
Raiders vs Indians
First inning action found the Indians going down in order, 1-2-3, as strike out victims, to Raider hurler BJ Sieverding.
The Raiders scored a run off a Russ Steinhauer lead off walk, a stolen base, an error on the Indians allowing Michael Fear to get on base and an RBI single by Cory Yeomans.
The Indians tied the game in the second inning as Derek Walker singled, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Marksberry's RBI single. Marksberry was gunned out at second base by Raider catcher Josh Cumberworth as he tried to steal. Tyler Granger and Schornick both struck out ending their at bat for the inning. The Raider second at bat went scoreless.
Raider Sieverding struck out the Indians on 11 pitches to end their half of the third. Sieverding singled to open the Raider third inning action and moved to third base on a Fear single. Yeomans grounded out to the catcher allowing Sieverding to score. Eric Landwehr's sacrifice fly allowed Fear to score before the inning ended at SR 3-1 Milan.
Sieverding collected 2 more Indian strike outs in the fourth before Derek Walker grounded out to Thomas at second base. The Raiders failed to score Thomas who doubled in the inning.
Three ground outs by the Indians in the fifth inning made their at bat short. South Ripley added a pair of runs off the Fear single, driven home by a Cory Yeomans triple and Eric Landwehr's FG allowed Yeomans to score.
Indian Zach Turner grounded out to Sieverding, followed by 2 strike outs to end their at bat in the sixth, however, Raiders Thomas Welch and Fear both sent solo home runs over the outfield fence to take the score to SR 7-1 Milan.
With one out, Indians Brad Becker and Derek Walker got back to back hits. Josh Cumberworth picked off the runner at second base for out number two before Sieverding closed the gate with a strike out for the third and final out of the game.
The games final score was South Ripley 7-1 over Milan.

GARY FRANKLIN PHOTO Pictured above Milan Indian senior catcher Brian Beard lunges to catch the ball thrown home after Raider Eric Landwehr is thrown out by the Indian second baseman at first. Landwehr earned an RBI as Cory Yeomans crossed the plate head first scoring a fifth run for the Raiders.