Noblesville struggles with downpour, Harrison's bats. Need 'to come off the bus ready to go' when regional resumes
WEST LAFAYETTE – Deke Bullard was just looking to buy some time. Noblesville trailed Harrison, 4-0, in the Class 4A regional championship game with two on and no outs in the bottom of the fifth, but more pressing were the rapidly deteriorating conditions. Wednesday's weather cell that forced a nearly 20-minute delay earlier in the game had returned with a vengeance, and the steady downpour was making it nearly impossible for sophomore pitcher Addison Retzinger to grip the ball.
'I told the girls I was out there stalling, trying to see what they're going to do with the rain,' Bullard said. 'That's all I was doing. … Because I already knew she couldn't hold onto the ball. When you're switching the ball every pitch, that's hard on a pitcher. It's hard to get into a groove.'
IHSAA softball regionals: Statewide pairings, schedule, scores
The umpire sent Bullard back to the dugout and after trying to stall a few more seconds — all while the rains increased to more of a torrential downpour — Retzinger was forced to throw another pitch.
It came out flat and sophomore Anna Hainje capitalized, launching it over the left-field wall for a three-run homer.
The game entered a delay as soon as she crossed home plate and play was suspended shortly thereafter.
Officials hope to resume play at 6 p.m., Thursday, with West Lafayette Harrison batting with no outs in the fifth.
'It's flat-out pouring,' Bullard said. 'You can't see the ball. You can't hold onto the ball. And we held off probably three pitches too long before they called that. I mean, the last three pitches were in the dirt because the pitcher can't hold onto the ball. I'm not going to blame the umpires. We haven't played well. But you have to be aware of that.'
The night's heaviest downpours occurred with Noblesville in the field — Murphy's Law, Bullard deadpanned — but the visitors came out flat, their coach observed, and that proved costly against Raiders pitcher Bradi Odom, who's working a four-hit shutout with only one walk and five strikeouts.
'We have done some guessing on what she's doing and what we're trying to do,' Bullard said. 'She's kept us off-balance and done a really good job. Kudos to her.'
At the plate, Harrison's generated 11 hits with three from Hainje — she's also scored two runs and has been generally excellent — and two apiece from juniors Becca Knight and Della Bossung. Hannah Voll and Alex Waitkoff accounted for the Raiders' other two RBIs.
If it can escape the fifth without further damage — a fairly significant 'if' against a lineup of WL Harrison's caliber (seven earned runs on 11 hits with only three strikeouts) — Noblesville will have six outs to generate seven runs, a by-no-means impossible task for a lineup that averages nearly eight runs per game and hung nine runs on two of the state's top talents in the sectional: Hamilton Southeastern's Grace Swedarsky and Zionsville's Leah Helton.
'We've had big innings before. They're going to have to come off the bus ready to go. And it's going to take a tremendous effort on our part to be able to do anything, to even make it close. Seven? With no outs in the fifth? That's a big hill. … We'll come back tomorrow and see what happens.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Crown Point freshman Hayden Brock competes in 2 spring sports. Whether here or there, she's ‘making an impact.'
Crown Point freshman Hayden Brock seemed nonplussed. For Brock, a narrow window between practices for softball and for track and field on Thursday was par for the course. She has contributed considerably to the softball team's regional title and has qualified for the state meet in the shot put. 'That poor child trying to balance that schedule,' Crown Point softball coach Angie Richwalski said with a laugh. 'I don't know how she does it. But she's doing great.' Brock said mental preparation and healthy eating have been among her keys to success. 'I've really stuck with it,' she said. 'I knew what was coming. I knew what to expect. We've figured it out.' A plan has been devised for Saturday, which shapes up as an especially long day for Brock. She'll miss the noon semifinal of the Class 4A West Lafayette Harrison Semistate between Crown Point (28-4), which is ranked No. 4 in the state coaches poll, and No. 12 Fort Wayne Carroll (23-5-1). Instead, she'll be competing in the state meet at Indianapolis North Central, with the shot put scheduled for 2:30 p.m. If things go according to plan for the Bulldogs, Brock will be back for the 6 p.m. semistate championship game. 'I have no regrets,' she said. 'Softball helps so much with track with me being a thrower. Swinging for softball correlates so much to the movements for throwing. And my throwing helps so much with my swings with my hips. It just makes me so much stronger. I've gained like 5 miles per hour on my throws just because I was doing track. 'We all support each other throughout everything. No one's angry about it. Everyone's been so supportive of me. They're there for me. It's a great group of girls with softball, and same with track. They're all just great girls to be around.' Brock is hitting .422 with five homers, tied for second on the team behind only junior third baseman Ashlyn Kita's eight, and 19 RBIs. She has put up those numbers in only 45 at-bats in 23 games. 'She's a great kid,' Richwalski said of Brock. 'She's working her butt off. I don't know how she's keeping her head on straight, quite honestly. She's just super athletic, and you can see that in the fact she's doing both sports and that we're both like, 'Come when you can be here and we'll use you. We'll figure out how to use you when you're here.' 'And as tough as it is for her to find a groove with that in and out because she's not here for every game, she's still had big moments, and she's done a good job dropping in like, 'Oh, here's a line drive at Penn. Oh, here's a game-winning hit against whoever.' She's done a really good job of showing up and still making an impact. She's a great kid to have.' Brock primarily catches senior pitcher Lexi Smith, and sophomore Evi Cuevas works with junior pitcher Paige Liezert. 'Hayden is always a positive light on and off the field,' Smith said. 'She never fails to make me smile or calm me down. Despite our age difference, while I'm warming up pitching, I can always count on her to help me fix what I need to or just make me smile when I'm overwhelmed. Hayden is always uplifting to not just me, but all of our teammates.' Brock and Smith formed a bond from the outset. 'Lexi loves Hayden,' Richwalski said. 'Hayden walked in this year, and Lexi can identify talent, can identify an athletic kid. She was like, 'You come with me, here we go, let's throw.' Hayden was like, 'OK, whatever you say,' because you don't tell Lexi Smith 'no.' So that's what we say — Lexi Smith blessed you.' Brock received the blessing from both coaching staffs to participate in both sports. 'We kinda sat down at the beginning of the season and went over the schedules,' Richwalski said. 'I sent her, 'Here's the ones where we need you to be with us,' and track said, 'Here's the ones where you absolutely have to be here with us.' We had a couple of times where she would go to track practice and meet us at Merrillville for a game or meet us at Hanover for a game. Her parents had to drop her off. We did a lot of running. 'I kept a sheet on my desk that was Hayden will be here, Hayden will not be here, Hayden will be here, Hayden will not be here. Every day, it was just keeping it as straight as we could, and she was really good about keeping the communication open.' Not long ago, Brock hadn't even considered juggling both sports. 'My dream has always been to go big in softball,' she said, referencing an upcoming camp at Florida State. 'I've always been softball, softball, softball. I always wanted to do that.' Brock didn't begin throwing shot put until last year. 'I have fun with both,' she said. 'I've been doing softball since I was 5 or 6, since you could start. Track I just picked up last year in eighth grade, and I fell in love with it. I was like, 'Wow, I kinda like this.' I didn't think I would be good at it. But I went out there, and I was like, 'I'm pretty decent just going out there. This is great.'' Brock came in first place in virtually every meet last year, catching the attention of Crown Point's track coaches, who floated the idea of her doing both this season. Richwalski was on board. This season, Brock finished third in a sectional and then second in a regional to advance to the state meet, where she will be one of two freshmen in the event. 'I didn't expect as a freshman to be going out there, my first year,' she said. 'It was like, 'Oh, my gosh, I'm going to state.' I don't expect to place. I'm just going to go out there and do my best and see where it falls.' Brock's best tends to fall favorably. 'She's managed to keep herself healthy on top of all of it,' Richwalski said. 'It's pretty impressive. I can't imagine doing all of the reps she's doing and not being some sort of sore. She's doing a good job of taking care of herself. 'I checked her grades all semester, and she did good there too. She didn't fall behind. I don't know how she pulled that off too.'
Chicago Tribune
11 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Lincoln-Way East rides Cooper Johnson's five no-hit innings to win over Lincoln-Way Central. ‘Unbelievable, man.'
In recent weeks, two-way sophomore standout Cooper Johnson had been limited to just one way of contributing for Lincoln-Way East. Johnson had been serving as the team's designated hitter, but the right-hander had not pitched since May 9 due to an elbow injury. Returning to the mound with the season on the line, he wasn't worried about the layoff. 'I went in there with confidence like I always do and felt the way I always do,' Johnson said. 'I just wanted to attack and make them put it in play.' Johnson's comeback went much better than anyone could have anticipated. He threw five no-hit innings to lead the Griffins to a 3-0 win over Lincoln-Way Central in a Class 4A Lincoln-Way West Sectional semifinal in New Lenox. Johnson struck out three on his way to the win and had just one batter reach base against him via an error. It ended up being a combined one-hitter for top-seeded Lincoln-Way East (28-10) as Jake Tamer threw the final two innings for the save. Lincoln-Way East coach John McCarthy was thrilled with how ready Johnson was for the big game. 'Cooper did a great job,' McCarthy said. 'He deserves all the credit. He was outstanding and he kept attacking the zone.' Johnson also singled and scored, while Roosevelt recruit Danny Mackey III delivered a two-run single and Tyler Hudik added a single, a walk and a run for the Griffins, who will play at 11 a.m. Saturday in the sectional final against Providence (26-12), a 2-1 semifinal winner over Stagg on a walk-off homer by Enzo Infelise with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Toledo recruit Liam Arsich had the lone hit for fourth-seeded Lincoln-Way Central (21-11). Xavier commit Luke Mensik threw 3 2/3 strong innings in relief, allowing one earned run on two hits. Johnson, though, was in total control, getting through five innings in just 50 pitches. 'First game back, it was all about efficiency,' he said. 'I got the job done without throwing a lot of pitches. It felt good.' Johnson knew he was on a pitch count in his first start since the injury, so he was not upset to be pulled out of the game with a no-hitter. 'I actually told them to take me out,' Johnson said. 'We had Tamer ready in the bullpen and I knew he'd shut it down for us.' Johnson said he felt good despite the time off. His biggest concern was whether he would be able to control his pitches. 'I knew it was going to be hard to locate my stuff the first game,' Johnson said. 'But I had it pretty well.' Mackey, for one, was impressed. 'He was awesome,' Mackey said of Johnson. 'His first game back. He was unbelievable, man. He's going to be good. He's going to be very good.' Mackey, meanwhile, provided all the run support Johnson would need. Batting eighth in the order, he came up with runners on second and third and two outs in the second inning. Mackey worked an eight-pitch at-bat, fouling off a pair of two-strike pitches before ripping a two-run single up the middle. 'It was huge,' Mackey said. 'We only scored one more run after that, so if that doesn't happen, it's a totally different ballgame. It's all about preparation in that situation. 'I haven't been swinging it well lately, but I've been putting in extra work every day, and that's exactly what I've been working for.' The same goes for Johnson, who has emerged as the Griffins' cleanup hitter and one of their top pitchers in his first varsity season. The sophomore was ready for the challenge. 'It's just a mindset thing,' Johnson said. 'No skill-related things are going to change. You just have to have the same confidence every outing, no matter who you're playing against.'
Chicago Tribune
12 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Comeback kid Aiden Bernau pushes big single past first base as South Elgin edges Bartlett. ‘Just knew my role.'
When senior Aiden Bernau injured his elbow during South Elgin's spring break trip to Tennessee, he had a sinking feeling. He had earned a starting spot but now needed to rehab an injury. What would happen next? 'I thought when I got injured, this is going to stink,' Bernau said. 'I was starting, too. I was just going to sit here. But it's been a blast. This is really fun.' Bernau, indeed, kept the good times rolling Thursday afternoon. Despite not being able to contribute as much as he had hoped for this season, Bernau kept grinding until he could graduate from pinch running to hitting during the past few weeks. It paid off in the Storm's 2-1 victory over Bartlett in the Class 4A Willowbrook Sectional semifinals. Bernau snuck a two-run single inside the bag at first base in the third inning to provide all the offense that Zacharia Barkho needed on the mound for South Elgin (23-10), which advanced to play at 11 a.m. Saturday for the sectional title against York (24-11). Colin Tuftedal and courtesy runner Justin Pold were along for the ride on that single, while Barkho went 6 2/3 innings in pitching the win. He struck out four and allowed an unearned run on three hits and four walks. Jacob Robertson came on with the bases loaded to nail down the save. Josh Colaizzi was dominant for Bartlett (19-17-1). He struck out 13 in six innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits and a walk. Austin Daubenmire walked and scored the lone run. After the initial shock of his injury, Bernau got to work. Even though he wouldn't be contributing in the same way as he thought he would, he wanted to remain a presence for the Storm. 'I just knew my role,' Bernau said. 'During the injury I knew what I had to do to help the team out. Pinch running, I did that a ton. I started hitting two or three weeks ago. It feels great.' It's the kind of leadership South Elgin coach Jim Kating loves to see. 'He's been working really hard since his injury,' Kating said of Bernau. 'He came up big and put the ball in play last game against St. Charles North. He earned the spot to go get that opportunity. 'He's focused. He's a team player. He's supporting everybody just like the rest of our team.' With two runners on and one out Thursday, Bernau initially tried to bunt. When that was unsuccessful, he went the opposite way, barely keeping the ball fair to drive in both runners. 'I got the bunt sign and tried to lay one down, missed that bunt,' Bernau said. 'I knew I had to put a ball in play. I just stuck my bat out there, caught a barrel and it went down the line.' That was all Barkho needed as South Elgin's ace delivered yet another strong performance. 'Zach did not have his best stuff,' Kating said. 'He gutted through and did a nice job.' Colaizzi matched Barkho for Bartlett and then some. Aside from the surge in the third inning, the Storm really didn't generate much offense off Colaizzi, who was hitting 90 mph on the radar gun. 'I can't say enough about him on both sides of the ball this year,' Bartlett coach Alex Coan said of Colaizzi. 'I thought we played well enough to win that game. Baseball is cruel sometimes.' Bernau's big moment also helped Kating hold off retirement for at least one more game. It has been first and foremost on the team's mind. 'That's what we're playing for at this point,' Bernau said. 'Last season for him, we want to get him some hardware. Just going for the title, and I think we have a really good shot with this team.'
