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Indianapolis Star
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Insider: Carmel Invite is one of IHSAA softball's premier events. It didn't disappoint
CARMEL— Despite Mother Nature's best efforts, and thanks to some savvy schedule maneuvering by Carmel athletic director Jim Inskeep, the Carmel Invite happened Friday and Saturday at Cherry Tree Elementary. And folks, the rain-forced finagling of the schedule was well worth it. From an upset of the No. 1 team in Class 4A to a walk-off winner in a game that started Friday but didn't end until Saturday, here's what to know from this year's Carmel Invite. These Millers, man… Deke Bullard likes to joke he has "a bunch of scrappy fighters" on his team. And after watching them against powerhouse Penn and top-ranked Lake Central, that's a perfect way to describe the 10th-ranked Millers. They trailed 7-2 entering the seventh against Penn on Friday. It was cold and wet, and Noblesville fought to extend everyone's misery (said quasi-jokingly), scoring four runs and loading the bases as the clock neared 11 p.m. That rally fell a run short, but Bullard's bunch bounced back a little over 12 hours later, erasing a 3-2 deficit with a five-run fifth that featured five two-out hits, including a pair of home runs, the first a three-run shot by Izzy Zapp and the second by Maggie Kern scored two more. Those bombs were the first of Zapp and Kern's high school career, and all seven of Noblesville's earned runs came against Lake Central ace Maddie Such, who entered the weekend with a 1.50 ERA and had yet to allow more than two earned runs in an appearance this season. "They won't quit. They won't fold their tents up and go home. They will fight to the end and that's what we love about them," Bullard said following the 7-4 triumph, just the second of his career vs. LC. "When you're willing to do that, you can stay in a lot of games." Noblesville's response to Friday's loss was not unexpected or abnormal, Bullard said, crediting it to the culture they've created over the past 10 years. They're willing to get into a fight and with how they schedule, they know how to respond to adversity. Speaking of the schedule — which has already taken Noblesville (9-1) through Avon, Fishers, West Lafayette Harrison, defending 3A champ Western, Penn and Lake Central — it continues to have exactly zero chill moving forward. New Palestine on Monday, Westfield on Tuesday, then Cathedral on Wednesday. Noblesville quick hits ∎ Emme Yee was solid against Lake Central, allowing only two earned runs on nine hits with four walks and five strikeouts over seven innings. The defense behind her was excellent and she did a very good job of avoiding major damage. She allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits with nine strikeouts and zero walks in a 12-3 win over Western, then did not allow a run pitching in relief against Penn on Friday. "I've just been going in, trusting myself and trusting my spin," Yee said following the Lake Central game. "I know I'll get behind sometimes, but I want to keep getting back and just honestly letting my defense get outs and work behind me." ∎ After facing three outside pitches, Zapp was looking inside on her home run. "It went inside and I (got a hold of it)," she smiled. The sophomore outfielder also made some key plays defensively in the seventh to help preserve the lead. "We knew this was going to be a tough game and we came out strong," Zapp said. "We had each other's dives and Brookelyn Grayson's dive (for the third out) sealed the win." ∎ Kern on her home run: "I was just looking to attack early in the count. I swung at the first pitch earlier and it didn't end up well for me, but I'm going to attack what I like. I saw that pitch down and I swung it." Bulldogs, Knights complete two-day marathon Brownsburg and Castle managed to fit in six outs before torrential downpours forced the suspension of their game Friday evening. Action resumed Saturday afternoon with the teams engaging in a scoreless stalemate that dragged into the bottom of the seventh. Ashley Sylvia reached on a one-out bunt, then came around to score on a walk-off triple by Bailey Paddock five pitches later (one of which clipped Paddock as she attempted a bunt). Sylvia said they discussed reading the defense and formulating a gameplan from there. The infield moved in for her first at-bat, but was playing behind the bases when she came up again in the seventh, so she laid down the bunt. "So that bunt? I wasn't actually supposed to do that. I missed a call there," Paddock laughed. "I was supposed to swing away right away, but nobody knew that and it worked in my favor, so that's OK." Paddock said Castle was pitching away against her, so she looked to take it to right field. The walk-off win over a high-quality 4A opponent was critical for the Bulldogs, who had lost three straight and five of their past six. The most recent setback, a 3-2 decision at Mooresville, was particularly painful. "We were down on ourselves mentally (after Mooresville), so we really used our couple losses to come back together as a team, to work as a team and I think we saw that today with the back-to-back hits," Sylvia said. "This was a game we needed," Paddock added. Cathedral precedes daunting stretch with 'team talk'; opens it with small ball The Irish had "a team talk" Friday to discuss things like energy, players' roles on the team, leading and staying positive. The timing may seem peculiar for a team that entered the weekend 11-0 with a 141-20 run differential, but it was very intentional. Saturday's 4-0 win over 4A power Castle launched Cathedral into the meat of its schedule, with games upcoming against Noblesville, Roncalli, Carmel, Zionsville, Yorktown, Shelbyville and (probably) Bishop Chatard at the City tournament. That stretch should have the 3rd-ranked team in 3A ready to roll come sectionals, but they wanted to make sure everyone was in the right headspace heading in. The response? "It was awesome. It was chilling," said junior Sidney Feczko, who spun a one-hit shutout vs. Castle with 10 strikeouts. "Yeah, everyone was really receptive to those conversations and it really worked out," added junior outfielder Amya Gary, who went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. "I hope it keeps up." In addition to her two hits, Gary also initiated a seventh-inning rally, reaching on an error to lead things off. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, then came in to score on a misplayed bunt to third. (Gary dodged the tag but missed home plate initially, but recovered and tapped the plate amid the confusion as everyone awaited the umpire's call.) Gary said once she reached they looked to continue applying pressure on the Castle defense by bunting. "Small ball can definitely change the pace of the game." "We've been practicing bunting a lot recently," Feczko added. "We can't hit until we bunt. We have to get three down, then we can hit and if you're bunting the entire time, you're bunting the entire time. It's definitely translating into gameplay." Cathedral (12-0) has games this week vs. Lawrence North, Noblesville and Avon ahead of the City tournament on Saturday. Wrestling x Softball: The Peyton Dwigans Story Though both probably looked worse in-person than on video, Penn catcher Peyton Dwigans took the hit to make the play on a couple occasions in Friday's wild 7-6 win over Noblesville. On the first, Dwigans fielded a wild pitch that bounced off the backstop and dove toward home plate, blocking off the runner as she came barreling in. She held on and got the out, keeping the score at 2-2 entering the bottom of the fifth. The second play came with significantly higher stakes: A precarious two-run lead with no outs in the top of the seventh. Haley Schatko roped a liner off the wall in center. Izabella Hanna hit the relay throw to shortstop Shannon Rudge, who executed a perfect throw from the edge of the infield to the third-base side of home plate, where Dwigans was able to gain control and absorb contact as the runner tried to evade the tag. "They weren't bad, honestly. I wrestled this year, so I've had a lot worse," Dwigans said. " I like them. I like plays like that." "She put her body on the line for us," senior Ava Zachary added. "She played her heart out tonight and we really appreciate everything she did behind the plate. We couldn't have won the game without her effort behind there." Sadie Winsett working her way back for Castle Castle is in the process of bringing back a major piece to its team with senior Sadie Winsett returning to the circle earlier this week. The Lee University-bound righty had been sidelined with a UCL injury suffered during the travel season. She said it "took her out for a little bit" and got worse at the beginning of the preps campaign. Winsett went 14-2 last season with a 2.29 ERA and 73 strikeouts over 94.2 innings pitched. She has been able to bat this season, clocking a .326 average with 15 hits (one homer), nine runs and seven RBIs. "My arm's doing well," said Winsett, who allowed two unearned runs on four hits with a walk and a strikeout over three innings against Cathedral. "I'm glad to be back — slowly but surely. I just love helping my team out." Winsett was limited to 46 pitches Saturday (she did not pitch against Brownsburg). They plan to bump up 10-20 pitches next week and continue to evaluate from there. "I'm itching to get more every time," she laughed, "but (coach Pat Lockyear) keeps me in place." Uni watch Noblesville-Lake Central provided the best uniform combo with the black with gold pinstripes paired against blue with white pinstripes, but Penn had the best uniforms of the event with the grey/black combo that featured script "Kingsmen" across the chest. A very clean look. "We took them back," Zachary said. "They were our JV's last year and we wanted them. Maybe they're our good luck charm and might be our signature color."
Indianapolis Star
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
IHSAA softball Fab 15: Zionsville reclaims top spot; New Palestine continues top-10 surge
Show Caption Spoiler alert: Zionsville reclaimed the top spot in this week's Central Indiana high school softball power rankings, but there's a new contender building a very compelling case for the top spot in 3A powerhouse New Palestine. Here's how the area's top teams stack up as we round into the final full week in April. 1. Zionsville (9-1) Last week: 2 Emma Vargo's seventh-inning base hit lifted the Eagles to a 1-0 win over defending Class 4A state champion Hamilton Southeastern. Leah Helton spun a five-hit shutout, fanning 10 batters and issuing zero walks. Zionsville maintained momentum with a 7-2 win over McCutcheon (7-2). 2. New Palestine (8-0) LW: 6 Really impressive week for the Dragons, who rolled through Franklin Central, Hamilton Southeastern and East Central, and grinded out a nine-inning win over Carmel. Gold star for pitcher Sadey Hughbanks, who allowed just one earned run over 19 innings with 26 strikeouts, including 11 in that 4-3 win over Carmel. The offense is clicking, too, boasting a team average of .383 with 87 hits (five homers, 21 doubles) and 75 runs scored. Big game Wednesday at Zionsville. 3. Hamilton Southeastern (6-4) LW: 1 Tough week for the Royals, whose 1-0 loss to Zionsville was followed by a 12-1 setback against New Palestine. HSE committed six errors and managed just three hits in the loss. The Royals will have a couple bounce-back opportunities this week with games against Avon and Lawrence North. 4. Roncalli (5-0) LW: 3 The Royals rolled to a 14-0 win over Brebeuf Jesuit in their lone game last week. Their event at Bedford North Lawrence was rained out. Kayla Brewer, Lauren Candler and Addy Poe combined for a five-inning no-hitter with nine strikeouts vs. the Braves. 5. Cathedral (9-0) LW: 4 The Irish snapped a four-game losing streak in their series against Danville, rolling to a 16-5 win. Anna Moore, Angie Valentine, Sidney Feczko and Maddie Liter all collected three hits, with Valentine, Feczko and Liter all homering and collecting multiple RBIs. Feczko also pitched five shutout innings with nine strikeouts. The Carmel Invite this weekend will pit Cathedral against 4A powerhouse Penn on Saturday. 6. Center Grove (7-2) LW: 5 The Trojans added three wins to their ledger, including a dramatic late-inning win over Brownsburg on Thursday. Hayden Baird and Brynn Meyer collected multiple hits against the Bulldogs, while Mae Munson drove in two runs. The pitching trio of Riley Fuhr, Kara Biever and Sarah Riley combined for six strikeouts and allowed just three earned runs on eight hits. CG capped its week with a 7-4 win over Bloomington South and has a busy week ahead with Franklin Central, Columbus North and Bedford North Lawrence. 7. Noblesville (6-0) LW: 12 The Millers can rake. They out-scored Fishers, Carmel, Lawrence North and WL Harrison by a combined 47-3 and have an overall run differential of 61-9 through their first six games. Noblesville is currently 10th in the coaches' rankings, but if they're able to finish above .500 over this next stretch — Franklin Central, Western, Castle and Lake Central — I'd expect them to surge up the rankings. 9. Plainfield (8-1) LW: 7 The Quakers mostly breezed through their three games last week, racing out to a 7-0 lead over Whiteland en route to a 7-3 win then claiming their next two — a rematch with Whiteland and trip to Avon — by a combined score of 24-1. Their next big test figures to come Saturday at McCutcheon. 9. Cascade (5-3) LW: 8 The Cadets are starting to string together some wins. They ran their win streak to four last week with triumphs over Northview and Edgewood. The second game saw them battle back from a 2-1 third-inning deficit to win, 5-2, with Tara Gruca going 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs and a run, and both Lacie Godby and Grace Gray smacking triples. Godby allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits over seven innings with five strikeouts. 10. Brownsburg (6-3) LW: 10 Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, but the Bulldogs were right there against Center Grove, fighting back form a three-run deficit to force a 6-all tie in the top of the sixth (Tatum Hunt homer got things started). A sacrifice fly in the bottom half was ultimately the difference. Big test Tuesday at Zionsville, then it's off to Mooresville and the Carmel Invite over the next three days. 11. Lapel (8-2) LW: 9 The Bulldogs placed third at the final Madison County tournament, bouncing back from a semifinals loss to Alexandria-Monroe with an 18-4 triumph over Anderson. The senior-driven outfit has been led at the plate by Laylah Gore, Tatum Harper and Ava Everman, with juniors Paige Stires and Delaney Basler providing quality pop in the lineup, as well. Ava Zdanowski has struck out 31 through her first 24.1 innings pitched; Karlie Jannings has allowed just 11 earned runs on 15 hits through 15.2 innings. 12. Fishers (9-3) LW: 11 The Tigers were held to just two hits and blown out by Noblesville, 15-0, but bounced back with wins over WL Harrison, Lowell, Logansport and Lawrence North. They return to action Tuesday against Westfield, then travel to Yorktown on Thursday. Hailey Kinder, Anna McGrath, Azstryd Alexander, Brooke Clayton, Kate Murray, Kendall Jordan and Frankie Jackson have all cleared 10-plus hits this season. Jordan, who returned from injury last week, is 10-for-16 with seven runs, three homers and nine RBIs. 13. Franklin Central (6-5) LW: 13 After falling to New Palestine during the week, the Flashes were on the cusp of a big win Saturday at Lake Central, jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, then scoring twice in the seventh to make it a two-run game, but they fell short, 11-9. Sarah Miller an Jadyn Tinsley had four and three hits, respectively, and FC bounced back with a 19-5 win over Edwardsburg, a top-ranked team out of Michigan. 14. Shelbyville (8-5) LW: NR The Golden Bears took losses earlier this month to East Central, HSE (4-0), Edwardsville (Ill.), Cascade and Eastern Hancock. They've since bounced back with four straight wins, including a 7-5 decision over conference foe Pendleton Heights. Senior Addison Stieneker is batting .545 with 21 RBis, 10 doubles, two triples and four homers, while Anna Shearer's driven in 18 runs and boasts a .450 average. Gracie Crafton, a sophomore, is 6-3 with a 3.90 ERA and 76 strikeouts through 66.1 innings pitched. New Palestine looms next week. 15. Lutheran (5-3) The Saints rolled to 8-2 wins over Lawrence Central and Trinity Lutheran. Speedway and a doubleheader at Mt. Vernon this week should provide a couple formidable tests following Tuesday's trip to Cardinal Ritter.
