SULLIVAN —
For six innings Friday evening, Terre Haute South’s defense kept the Braves in position to win a nonconference high school softball game at Sullivan.
In the seventh, however, the Braves gave the game back to the Golden Arrows, who have now won six in a row — including the first sweep of the two Terre Haute schools since assistant coach Kelli Jones was the ace pitcher for her mother’s team — and the last three in their final at-bat.
“Monday night [against Union] and then again last night [vs. Clay City] we came from behind,” said Sullivan’s Aly Bennett, who drove in the tying run and scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh of her team’s 4-3 victory. “I guess we’re on a roll with that.”
“I’ve seen it in these girls for years,” said coach Sue Pitts of the Arrows, who have four-year varsity players in Bennett, winning pitcher Rachel Whitlock, shortstop Shelbi Ellenberger (who had the game-winning RBI) and catcher Allexis Mahurin. “They’re all coming together now.”
Those three position players combined for seven hits Friday, and Whitlock didn’t allow an earned run through six innings. Yet as the Arrows prepared to bat in the bottom of the seventh, they trailed 2-1 despite having nine hits to South’s three.
A one-out double by Kylee Wills, a single by Tori Stamper and a sacrifice fly by Kaitlin Romine enabled Sullivan to tie the game in the sixth, but the Braves regained the lead in the top of the seventh on a hit by Kelsey Marlow, a fielder’s choice and a two-out run-scoring double by Mackenzie McGregor.
Although the Braves had not exactly been killing the ball — “[Whitlock] kept us off-balance and popping it up all game,” coach Steve Woerner said afterward — they’d been frustrating the Arrows defensively with a pair of double plays, two throwouts by catcher Chelsea Whitesell, running catches in the outfield by Ashley Watkins and Kayla Serrato, a hit-robbing stop up the middle by shortstop Marlow and a big hustle play by center fielder Lexi HIggins on Romine’s two-out, fourth-inning double that kept Stamper from scoring from first base. Hanna Gossman had been efficient in the circle with that help, and when the Arrows seemed to be timing her in their sixth-inning rally, fellow freshman Jackie Swain came in to get a strikeout that ended that threat.
None of that mattered much to Woerner after he watched the bottom of the seventh, however.
Caelan Jones reached on an error to start the inning, and Mahurin drew a walk. Bennett, the No. 2 hitter in the Sullivan batting order, was unable to get a bunt down, but then blooped a full-count pitch softly over first base for a hit.
“[Swain, who has an outstanding fastball] was throwing it pretty much everywhere too,” Bennett said a few minutes later. “It was difficult to bunt her.”
Serrato’s throw home was not in time to get Jones, but Whitesell got her third assist of the game by throwing out Mahurin trying to advance to third. Bennett reached second easily, however, and scored when Ellenberger’s line shot on the next pitch fell in front of and bounced past a South outfielder who’d been unable to read the ball off the bat.
“What you saw [in the seventh] was what we’ve been getting all year,” Woerner said after the game. “If we don’t score, we can’t beat anybody … the freshman pitchers did a good job keeping us in the game.” The fact that it was Woerner’s first loss to the Arrows as a head coach didn’t improve his mood any.
“I thought it was just a well played game by both teams,” said Pitts, “and fortunately — for us, anyway — we came out on top this year.”
• Swing for the Cure — The Golden Arrows played their three home games this week in purple “Swing for the Cure” T-shirts and released balloons after a pregame prayer. Some of the proceeds from funds this week went to the children of Devon LeDune; the Sullivan High School graduate died of cancer approximately 18 months ago after the birth of her second son, and her two boys were there Friday as her husband Chad threw out the first pitch.
Games between the Arrows and Braves are as much reunions as rivalries — at least once on Friday, an assistant coach from one team shouted praise for a defensive play made by an opponent — and the Braves were attired in pink T-shirts with a cancer-fighting theme too. South senior Marissa Stout has been instrumental in two similar fund-raisers in Terre Haute for summer teammates who have been stricken with the disease — the first of whom was Bennett.
“I’m glad we started this,” said Bennett, a cancer survivor before her high school graduation (and also a cousin of the LeDunes). “It sucks that I had to be the first one, but we’re raising money for people who needed it.”
High School
Sullivan softball rallies to top Terre Haute South for sixth straight win
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North baseball pulls away from South in sectional opener
In high school baseball little things mean a lot, and the crack in the door doesn’t have to be open very wide.
Terre Haute North burst through that crack in the bottom of the second inning Wednesday evening at Terre Haute South, scoring seven two-out runs and going on to a surprisingly easy 12-2 victory over the host Braves. -
Blank, Mundy named McMillan Award winners
Posing side-by-side for photos following Terre Haute North High School’s Senior Awards ceremony, seniors Calvin Blank and Chanli Mundy couldn’t look more different.
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West Vigo baseball advances with 10-0 win behind Stewart's two-hitter
West Vigo got off to a good start in Class 3A high school sectional baseball action Wednesday evening at Dick Ballinger Field.
The Vikings scored four runs in the first inning of the first sectional game and went on to defeat Brown County 10-0 in five innings with Kevin Stewart hurling a two-hitter. -
Terre Haute South tennis claims regional crown
It was a lot tougher than some thought it would be, but the Terre Haute South girls tennis team won the Greencastle regional for the second year in a row Wednesday evening at DePauw University Tennis and Track Center.
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Big group of Wabash Valley boys head to Evansville looking for state berths
The top four finishers in each event from last week’s Terre Haute North, Evansville Central, Jasper and Princeton boys high school track and field sectionals will converge on Evansville Central today for regional competition.
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West Vigo comes up short against 19-9 Brown County softball
West Vigo got off to a good start but Brown County finished better in Class 3A high school softball sectional semifinal action Tuesday night at Edgewood.
The Eagles bested the Vikings 7-5 and will meet South Vermillion, a 12-7 winner over Owen Valley, for the sectional championship on Thursday starting at 6 p.m.
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Valley baseball teams have been keeping busy heading into sectionals
When high school baseball sectionals begin around the Wabash Valley today, one complaint that’s not expected to be heard from any coach is that his team has had too much time off.
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Northview powers way past Terre Haute South in sectional semifinal
Northview unleashed power rarely seen in high school girls softball Tuesday night to eliminate Terre Haute South 8-1 in the Class 4A Sectional at Martinsville High School.
The Knights hit three home runs in an eight-run third inning to reach the championship game. -
Terre Haute North dominates field at regional
Keirra Porter took first place in two individual events and helped Terre Haute North win one of its relays as the Patriots captured the Evansville Central Regional team championship in girls high school track and field Tuesday night.
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PREP ROUNDUP: South tennis cruises into regional final
Terre Haute South didn’t lose a game en route to blanking Seeger 5-0 in girls high school tennis Tuesday to advance to today’s championship match against Crawfordsville in the Greencastle Regional.
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Terry enjoys strong year with Wildcats, and still enjoying suiting up to play
South Vermillion’s Tim Terry is the longest tenured coach in Wabash Valley high school baseball as his Wildcats are set to begin sectional play Thursday against Owen Valley.
But on the Yankees, a 35-and-over team in the Terre Haute Men’s Senior Baseball League, Terry is “just a youngster” if you ask Larry Roesch, his 68-year-old teammate on the Volkers Group Yankees. -
West Vigo softball holds off nemesis Edgewood in softball sectional
Ice cream was enough of a reward Monday night after the West Vigo Vikings beat eight-time defending champion Edgewood 6-2 in extra innings in the opening game of the Class 3A softball sectional at Edgewood High School. But that’s not what Vikings want.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Shakamak's Green hits two homers in win over West Vigo
Shakamak improved to 22-3 on the season behind a complete-game effort from Brett Yeryar, and Patrick Green hit two solo home runs in a high school baseball game Monday.
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Terre Haute North offense unable to get going in loss to Mooresville
Jack Kirchner chose to give credit Monday night to Mooresville pitcher Taylor Chitwood, not to the Greg Maddux-size strike zone she seemed to enjoy.
But if there were no excuses forthcoming from Kirchner and his Terre Haute North High School softball team, it wouldn’t have been hard to find a spectator or two to come up with extenuating circumstances about the Patriots’ 4-1 loss at the Class 4A Martinsville Sectional. -
Terre Haute North looking strong going into girls track regional
Terre Haute North might need an off night for anyone to catch them in the girls track regional at Evansville Central.
The Patriots are as well-rounded as they’ve ever been, and two relay teams are state contenders with times ranking No. 2 in Indiana among times recorded all spring.
Terre Haute South, Northview and Sullivan have athletes among the contenders in multiple events as well. -
South tennis ready for potential challenge in regional
Terre Haute South and Northview take respective records of 10-5 and 11-5 into the Greencastle Regional today.
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Softball sectionals up for grabs
All three Vigo County high schools and Northview appear to have a realistic chance of winning sectional championships in softball this week.
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Terre Haute South, Northview vie for tennis regional title
Terre Haute South and Northview take respective records of 10-5 and 11-5 into the Greencastle Regional today.
Coach Bill Blankenbaker’s Braves will play Seeger at 4:30 p.m., while coach Emily Goff’s Knights will take on Crawfordsville about 6 p.m. -
Vikings win in extra innings at Rockville
West Vigo scored six runs in its first two innings Saturday, then needed a ninth-inning single by Lucas Fagg to escape with a 7-6 extra-inning win in nonconference high school baseball at Rockville.
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TH South beats Northview in Big Four makeup baseball game
Terre Haute South wrapped up a share of the MIC baseball title and finished up the Big Four Classic with an 8-1 victory over Northview in less than 24 hours on Saturday morning.
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Olds pitches South to share of MIC baseball title
Friday night, winning the second game 5-0 and earning a share of the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school baseball title.
Damon Olds was dominant on the mound for the Braves, striking out 14 and walking just one while pitching a three-hit shutout. -
South wins first half of doubleheader against Lawrence North
Host Terre Haute South kept its Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school baseball title hopes alive — and clinched no worse than second place in the process — by downing Lawrence North 4-1 in the first game of a doubleheader Friday night.
The second game, which started after Senior Night festivities between games, ended past the Tribune-Star deadline. -
PREP ROUNDUP: Calleja pitches West Vigo past South Vermillion
Brandon Calleja had 13 strikeouts to lead West Vigo to a 5-1 victory against South Vermillion in high school baseball Friday.
Brandon Behringer went 2 for 4 with two RBI for the Vikings, who secured second place in the Western Indiana Conference.
Kaden Lawson had double for South Vermillion (15-7), which finished 4-2 in the WIC. -
Seibert returns from injury to win three events as Braves win sectional crown
His baseball equivalent might be Rick Sutcliffe of the 1984 Chicago Cubs.
When Tyler Seibert returned to the Terre Haute South track and field lineup Thursday for sectional action at Terre Haute North, it was like the midseason trade the Cubs made for Sutcliffe that earned them a playoff spot. -
South switches up lineup to defeat North in tennis sectional
Terre Haute South coach Bill Blankenbaker said two weeks ago that he would change the Braves’ lineup after the 3-2 dual-meet loss to Terre Haute North.
The Patriots knew it was coming, but they couldn’t do anything to stop it. -
PREP ROUNDUP: North slips past Northview in eight-inning baseball game
Colton Pittman drew a bases-loaded walk to score Zach Milam with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning as host Terre Haute North edged Northview 8-7 in high school baseball Thursday at Jennings Field.
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PREP ROUNDUP: North and South to face off for tennis sectional title
The winner of the Terre Haute sectional for girls high school tennis will come down to Terre Haute North and Terre Haute South.
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Terre Haute North gets 10 event victories to claim 12th straight sectional crown
Terre Haute North won 10 events Tuesday night while winning the Indiana High School Athletic Association girls track and field section at South Putnam High School for the 12th straight year.
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North, South to meet in first round of baseball sectional
The Indiana High School Athletic Association announced pairings for the baseball state tournament Tuesday and the draw offered up a Vigo County battle in the opening game.
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PREP ROUNDUP: West Vigo softball clinches share of WIC title
West Vigo clinched at least a share of the Western Indiana Conference softball title with a 6-4 victory over Edgewood on Tuesday.
Jacy McClain and Bailee Waters had RBI singles in the fourth inning to break the game open for the Vikings. - More High School Headlines
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