Osgood Journal Sports
June 12, 2007

Jac-Cen-Del Lady Eagle run ends short of the mark

Gary Franklin - Sports Editor
The Class 1A Jac-Cen-Del Lady Eagles Varsity Softball Team members were fortunate in their season's effort to earn the opportunity to play at the level of Semi-State on Friday night, June 8.
That effort put them just one game away from the big prize, the State Championship game scheduled on Saturday, June 9, at Ben Davis High School.
Unfortunately, the Lady Eagles were contained in their Friday evening game by the Indianapolis Lutheran Lady Saints, with a 10 run in 5 innings rule at a 10-0 score.
The Lady Eagles were designated the visitor on the score card during their game held at the Indianapolis Hamilton Southeastern High School, a Class 5A school.
The Lady Saints went on to the championship game on Saturday and claimed a 9 inning, 1-0, victory for the State Championship Class 1A Title.
The Lady Eagle game
Valorie Wagner (center fielder) opened the game at bat for the Lady Eagles with a single. Wagner was called out as she stole second base. Kristen Hicks (catcher) was retired by a strike out. Kiersten Young (short stop) flew out to the Lady Saints pitcher to end their at bat scoreless.
Pitcher Abby Lauber and the Lady Eagles shut down the first three batters they faced. A fly out to Abby Rohlfing at first base, a strike out, and a fly out to Wagner in center made quick work of the first inning with no score for either team.
Lauber led off the top of the second with a fly out to the short stop. Janine Huff (third baseman) struck out. Kaylin Ploeger (right fielder) singled, but designated batter Kara Harlemert struck out to retire the Lady Eagles second inning hopes of scoring.
The Lady Saints drew a walk, then hit into a FC 1-3. Lauber stretched their next batter to a full count before ringing up the strike out for the second out. A 6-3 fielders choice ended the second with the game yet scoreless.
In the top of the third, Lady Eagle Abby Rohlfing went down to strikes. Carissa Simon (left fielder) was hit by the pitch, putting her on first base. Wagner flew out to the second baseman up the line behind first. Hicks flew out to center, ending the inning.
The Lady Saints put a run on the board in the home half of the inning. A 4-3 ground out, led to a walk. A stolen base and a throwing error on the catcher put the runner on third. A 4-3 ground out allowed a run to cross the plate, and a 4-3 ground out ended the inning, but the Lady Saints were up 1-0.
The Lady Eagle top half of the fourth found Young popping out to the catcher, Lauber struck out, and Huff singled. However, Ploeger flew out to the pitcher.
The Lady Saints erupted in the bottom of the fourth for 5 runs before the Lady Eagles could shut them down. Those runs were the result of a batter hit by a pitch followed by a walk, then a single. The first out was by Huff at third unassisted. Passed balls and errors led to another walk driving Lady Saints across the plate. A FC 1-6, an E6, and a fly to Wagner finally curtailed the madness.
The Lady Eagles Harlemert, Rohlfing and Carissa Simon all struck out in the top of the fifth.
Lauber walked the lead off batter for the Lady Saints in the bottom of the inning, and an error by Huff put 2 on before a fly out to catcher Hicks was scored. A pair of wild pitches eluding the catcher and a single and a walk led to a FC 4-2 error allowing 4 runs to cross the plate initiating the 5th inning 10 run rule to end the game.
The Lady Eagles and their fans did not expect such an outcome, but should hold their heads high as they had a good season with many more high moments to remember than low ones.

GARY FRANKLIN PHOTO The Lady Eagles and coaches posed for a send off photo before heading to Indy for their 2007 Girls Softball Semi-State game.

 

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Eagle batters get to Lawson

Gary Franklin, Sports Editor

The Jac-Cen-Del Eagle boys' varsity baseball team went to battle in regional action against the Hauser Jets at JCDHS on Tuesday, June 5.
Senior right hander Justin Huff pitched to the Jets in the top of the first inning, getting the Jets out 1-2-3. A pitcher to first play, a fly out to right field and a ground out to short thrown to first for their third.
Blake Sutton, the Eagle short stop, was the lead off batter. He nailed Lawson for a single to get the game off to a positive start for JCD. Justin Huff, as the Eagle starting pitcher, batted second. Huff flew out to center field. Senior catcher Daniel Leonetti was hit by Lawson while at the plate which advanced Sutton to second. Tucker Brown as the Eagle first baseman went down on strikes and Eagle right fielder Zach Simon flew out to first for the third out, leaving 2 runners on base.
Huff delivered the Jets lead off batter in the second a walk, but got their second batter to fly out to second baseman David Busch, holding the runner on first. Raisor short a single past third baseman Matt Gehl for the first Jets' hit of the game. Dean followed with a single to load the bases. Huff gave up his second walk of the game, driving home the first score for the Jets. Clark's shot fielded by Huff for an unassisted ground out, allowed another Jet's score to cross the plate. A Sutton to first fielders choice retired the Jets with 2 LOB but they had scored a pair in the process.
Down 2-0, the Eagles went down 1-2-3 via strike outs to Brandon and Matt Gehl and a fly out to right field by Busch. The Busch shot looked promising off the bat, but was ran down.
In the top of the third inning, Huff gave up a walk to lead off batter Thayer. He was however to get the next three batters to fly out. Two were fielded by Eric Horan in left field and the third captured by Brandon Gehl in center field.
The Eagles sent Eric Horan to the plate in their at bat. Horan struck out. Sutton grounded out to third. Justin Huff nailed Lawson for a single, but Leonetti went down on strikes to end their threat.
Huff hit the Jets lead off batter with a pitch to put him on first. A sac by Dean moved him to scoring position with one out. The second out was off a fly out to Sutton at short. Clark singled to drive Raisor home for 3-0 Jets. Raisor stole third base and Huff hit Miller with a pitch putting runners on the corners with 2 out. This also forced Eagle Coach David Bradshaw to make the pitching change.
Tucker Brown was sent to the mound and Huff was put on first base. Brown's first victim hit into a 6-4 FC to end the Jet threat.
Entering the top of the fifth inning, down 3-0, the Eagles quickly were caught with 2 down. Matt Gehl grounded out second to first and Eric Horan struck out for his second of the game. The Eagles Sutton reached on an error. Huff drew a walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. Daniel Leonetti blasted Lawson for a shot hitting the base of the center field fence, driving home both Sutton and Huff with a stand up double. Brown grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning, JCD 2-3 Hauser.
The Eagles, behind Browns lead, shut the Jets down in their sixth and seventh inning at bat. However the Eagles were also unable to score in their final two at bats and fell by a final of 3-2.
Eagle pitching vs Hauser
Justin Huff -
pitched for 3 2/3 innings and faced 19 batters. He was charged with all 3 Jets runs. The Jets had 3 earned runs on 3 hits. Huff had no strike outs, walked 3 and hit 2 batters.
Tucker Brown -
pitched for 3 1/3 innings and faced 12 batters. Brown allowed no runs on 3 Jets hits. Brown collected 2 strike outs and gave up no walks.

GARY FRANKLIN PHOTO Eagle Brandon Gehl just misses Lawsons pitch as it slides past the bat to the Jets catcher.

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Raider hopes are dashed
following rain delayed beginning

Gary Franklin, Sports Editor

The South Ripley Raider baseball team headed for their regional competition following a stirring send off, only to arrive in time for the game to virtually be postponed to the next evening, June 5, because of rain.
Adding insult to the mix, Wednesday, June 5, the next evening, was the scheduled ORVC Spring Sports and Awards Banquet at the Pines Restaurant of Madison.
Four of the players, Josh Cumberworth, Michael Fear, Cory Yeomans and BJ Sieverding as well as Coach Scott Holdsworth were to be special guests as ORVC Baseball Team Champs and Holdsworth as Coach of the Year.
Thanks to information attained from Raider followers, a report of the game became available that it could be shared.
The South Ripley Raider's baseball team included 6 seniors, Josh Cumberworth, Michael Fear, Tim Burcham, Chandler Stearns, Cory Yeomans and Eric Landwehr. Fellows who had experienced Semi-State action as juniors and fully intended to reach that level of play again, hoping to go further.
A fine season kept their hopes and mission on track, but was fatally derailed at their regional game against the Providence Pioneers of Clarksville.
The Game
Raider center fielder Russ Steinhauer led off their attack but grounded out to first. BJ Sieverding flew out to deep left field fore the second out, and Michael Fear flew out to center, ending their opening at bat.
The Raiders made short work of the Pioneers opening at bat with a ground out to Sieverding at short, a fly out to Kyle Patrick at first base and a Fear pitched strike out.
In the second inning, Raider right fielder Cory Yeomans struck out. Eric Landwehr reached on an error by the Pioneer short stop. Jared Keck (third baseman) moved the runner with a sacrifice fly. Landwehr scored the Raider run off a triple by Raider catcher Josh Cumberworth. The inning ended with Cumberworth stranded on third when second baseman, Brian Thomas struck out.
The Pioneer answer to the Raider run came in the bottom of the second for a 1-1 tie after two complete innings of play. An error charged to the short stop allowed a Pioneer on the base path. A single followed, then a throw out by Raider catcher Cumberworth to Keck at third base to nail the attempted steal. A wild pitch allowed third to be taken which led to a walk issued by pitcher Michael Fear. An error charged to Keck at third allowed the runner to score and tied the game. Fear collected a strike out for the second out of the inning leading to a ground out, from short to first..
In the third inning, Raider designated hitter Thomas Welch, led off. Welch drew the walk. Steinhauer flew out to center field. A sacrifice bunt by Sieverding moved Welch to second base but left the Raiders with 2 outs. Fear followed with a ground out to second base, ending the inning and Raider scoring threat.
Fear struck the lead off batter of the Pioneers out to start their third. That was followed by a single before a pair of fielders choice ground outs to short stop, ending the inning.
Cory Yeomans led off for the Raiders in their fourth inning at bat with a single. Landwehr flew out to center field, Keck struck out , and Cumberworth advanced Yeomans to third with his single. Thomas struck out, leaving two potential Raider runs on base.
In the bottom half of the fourth inning, the Pioneers began with a single. Fear fielded the ball for out #1, then gave up a walk. A pair of fielders choice ground outs got the Raiders out of the threatening scoring drive by the Pioneers.
The fifth inning for the Raiders ended with pop up to the second baseman by Welch, and fly outs by Steinhauer to left and Sieverding to center.
The Pioneer fifth ended in 1-2-3 as well, with a ground out to Keck at third, a fly out to Patrick at first and an inning ending grounder to Thomas at second. Five innings completed and the score remained 1-1.
Fear popped up to the pitcher leading off in the Raider sixth. Yeomans flew out to short stop. Landwehr and Keck singled back to back, but Cumberworth flew out to deep center field to end their at bat.
Fear delivered a strike out to open the Pioneer at bat in the bottom of the sixth inning, however six batters, 5 hits, a walk and 4 runs later, Coach Holdsworth brought Bj Sieverding to the mound in relief from short stop. Sieverding collected a strike out and retired the side with a ground out to Thomas. With the damage done, the Raiders trailed 5-1, going into the top of the 7th.
Following a Thomas fly out to right leading off the inning, it looked bad for SR, but Welch was hit by a pitch, Steinhauer walked and Sieverding singled bringing to bat Fear and Yeomans. The Raider hopes with bases loaded ended when Fear struck out and Yeomans grounded out to the pitcher.
Looks bad, then seems not so bad, then ends. Sometimes you get the bear and then sometimes the bear gets you. Good job Raiders. Hold your heads high.