Lawrence lifts Eagles in title game
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pilot photo/jamie martin
Jackie Lawrence struck out 23 batters in Culver Academy�s dramatic 13-inning sectional win Friday. |
5-31
By Ken Peterson
Pilot Sports
NEW CARLISLE � Years from now, when people talk about some of the great games in the history of Culver Girls Academy softball, Friday�s Class 2A New Prairie sectional championship game should rank as one of the best.
For 13 innings, the Eagles and Cougars staged a battle neither team deserved to lose.
In the end, Culver Girls Academy made the plays it had to and eliminated New Prairie 3-1 at Ziolokowski Field.
Coach Jen Mascari�s 22-1 second-ranked Eagles somehow survived and advance to next Saturday�s 11 a.m. Twin Lakes Regional to take on the winner of the Twin Lakes sectional. The second game at 1 p.m. pits the winner of the Andrean sectional against the winner of the Griffith sectional. Winners return for the title game at 8 p.m. and the right to advance to the June 13 state softball semifinals.
It�s the Eagles first sectional title since 1996. Coach Tim Scott�s Cougars watched their season end 23-8.
�New Prairie did a great job hitting against us,� an exhausted Mascari said. �I don�t even know what to say right now. We went through (13) innings with that team. This is huge for my seniors. Everyone pulled together as a team and did what they had to do.�
None bigger than freshman pitcher Jackie Lawrence. The Cougars were credited with 50 official at-bats and Lawrence had 23 of them by strikeout.
�We came out here ready to play,� Lawrence said. �We came through as a team.�
Lawrence got an early game wake up when leadoff batter Melissa Vascil opened the game with a triple to left. Then Lawrence settled down and struck out the next three hitters and seven of the next eight. She held the Cougars to four hits in the first nine innings.
After missing scoring opportunities in the early innings, Shaina Smith settled down and gave up one hit between the fourth and eighth innings, when CGA batters were swinging at either the first or second pitch.
�We were popping up and we were hitting to someone every time we hit,� Mascari said. �Honestly, I think we had some good cuts and I�m not concerned about that.�
The Eagles had a chance to take the lead in the ninth. Emily Newby singled and Alexia Clay singled and went to second on an error. But Smith settled down and got Katie Maroney to ground out, and Lawrence and Wheeler to pop out.
CGA finally broke through in the 11th. Clay reached base on a three-base error when a fly ball to rightfielder Kathleen Sheedy bounced out of her glove. Maroney struck out, but Lawrence hit a sacrifice fly to left to put the Eagles on the board.
Then came the bottom of the inning, when CGA stared elimination square in the face.
Vascil singled to left and Collins followed with a single, sending Vascil to third. Catherine Pearce reached on a fielder�s choice when Newby missed the tag, scoring Vascil. Smith followed with a single to load the bases with nobody out.
With its season on the line, Lawrence and her teammates settled down and made the big plays.
First, Lawrence got Kristen Johnson to hit into a fielder�s choice to Maroney, who forced Collins at home. Then Lawrence struck out Williamson and Heather Johnson to end the inning.
�I�ve been in these situations and they�ve all helped me,� Lawrence said. �It�s all a learning experience and every situation that you have in softball helps you. This is where it matters most. I�ve put all of my experiences into that inning and my team helped me through this.�
The Eagles won the game in the 13th. Clay reached on an error and Maroney reached on a single. Lawrence grounded to third, but the throw from Ashley Williamson sailed over first base, scoring both runs.
Pearce led off the New Prairie 13th with a single, but Lawrence and her teammates retired the final three batters to touch off the celebration.
�They showed a lot of heart,� Mascari said. �What can you say? This whole entire sectional, we showed how bad we wanted to be here and how bad we wanted to win. And they wanted to prove to everyone that we are a good team.�
� CULVER GIRLS ACADEMY 3, NEW PRAIRIE 1
At New Carlisle
CGA 000 000 000 010 2 � 3 9 4
NP 000 000 000 010 0 � 1 9 6
Jackie Lawrence (W, 22-1) and Alexia Clay; Shaina Smith (L,16-4 ) and Heather Johnson.
2B: Catherine Pearce (NP).
3B: Amy Hyndman (CGA), Melissa Vascil (NP).
Records: Culver Girls Academy 22-1, New Prairie 23-8.
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