The Versailles Republican Sports

June 2, 2011

Milan Lady Indians clinch IHSAA Class 2A Softball Sectional Championship

Gary Franklin, Sports Writer

The Milan Lady Indians earned a 12-0 five inning opening victory against the South Ripley Lady Raiders. Little did they know how long it would be before they could return to the softball field to get on with business.
Rain and storms coupled with high school graduations pushed the championship battle between the Hauser Lady Jets and the Milan Indians until Monday morning.
Once in action the Lady Indians made short work of the task at hand, that being to earn the sectional championship title. Five and a half innings following the opening pitch by Indian senior Arielle Noel and the girls were celebrating an 11-1 victory.
Little time to celebrate however, as the regional game was set for Tuesday evening with a 7 p.m. first pitch slated. Even numbered sectional tournament sites allowed Milan HS to be the host for the softball regional this year.
Softball sectional #44 championship action
Hauser First
A bunt by the Lady Jet lead off batter was fielded by Lady Indian pitcher Arielle Noel. Noel threw to LeeAnna White covering first for out number one. A fly out to center fielder Koehler Morrissey accounted for the second out. Pitching to a 3-1 walk, the Lady Jets put their first base runner on base. That followed by a single, led to a fly out to second baseman Katelyn Holton, retiring the side with no runs and two left on base.
Milan First
Noel hit a pop up to Lady Jet second baseman who bobbled but regained control for out number one. Lizzie Fuller flew out to first for the second out. Shelby Ross went down with her fly out to short stop. No runs, no hits and no errors, not the start the Lady Indians had hoped for in their first at bat.
Hauser Second
Quickly and silently, Noel, the death wish from the tribe's mound, worked her spell on the Jets retiring them one, two, three, on strike outs.
Milan Second
Hannah Lohrum led the Lady Indians at bat off in the second inning with a hard hit shot for a double. Marki Smith flew out to second base for the first out of the inning. Koehler Morrissey drilled a shot off the bat for a single, driving Lohrum in for their first run of the game.
LeeAnna White laid down a bunt single. Brooklyn Honnert's hit turned into a fielder's choice that the third baseman threw home to cut the advancing White down at the plate, however not before Morrissey had put run number two on the score board. Katelyn Holton drew a walk before pitcher Noel drilled a two RBI triple deep to the left field fence for a triple, scoring Honnert and Holton. Noel scored on a Lizzie Fuller single, however, Fuller became the third out after turning the wrong way in returning to first base.
A very good inning for the Lady Indians with five runs on five hits, a walk and nobody left on base, capturing the 5-0 lead.
Hauser Third
Noel sent just three pitches across the plate to capture a strike out on the Lady Jet first batter of the inning. A double, followed by a 3-0 walk ensued to put two Lady Jets on base with one out. A 3-2 full count walk loaded the bases.
A fly out to Morrissey in center field accounted for the second out, however the Lady Jets scored on the deep hit ball. The play also resulted in their third out as a second Lady Jet attempted to score on the play, but was cut down at the plate by Morrissey's throw to catcher Smith from center field.
Milan Third
Leading 5-1, Ross grounded out to short. Third base man Lohrum delivered a deep shot for a single and took second on an error. Catcher Smith singled and was replaced on the base path by Staci Ollman. Morrissey stung the ball leading to an error at short stop, loading the bases with one out.
The Jets had a conference at the mound. In continuing, first baseman White hit a ball to left field where the fielder made an error. Two runs crossed the plate for Milan, leaving White at second and Morrissey on third.
Designated player Brooklyn Honnert hit into an unassisted ground out to first for out number two. Holton was thrown out by the pitcher for the third out, ending Milan's third inning at bat with a 7-1 lead following the two hits, two runs with two left on base.
Hauser Fourth
The Lady Jets went down quickly with a fly to Fuller in left field, a strike out and a fly out to Holton at second.
Milan Fourth
Leading off in the fourth, Noel singled and stole two bases to get to third. Fuller bunted and stole second. Ross singled to drive Noel and Fuller home, which led to a Lady Jet pitcher change.
Lohrum flew out to the short stop and Smith flew out to the left fielder for the second out. Morrissey singled where ensuing throwing errors by the Jets allowed her to get to third. White then flew out to the pither, ending the inning with Milan ahead 10-1. Another good inning with 3 runs on 3 hits and one left on base.
Hauser Fifth
Noel pitched her way to two consecutive strike out counts on the Lady Jets before the third out was recorded via a fly out to Fuller in left field.
Milan Fifth
Honnert drew a four pitch walk. Shaina Reed entered the game to run for Honnert. Holton's bunt moved Reed to second with one out. Noel walked and Fuller walked loading the bases. Shortstop Shelby Ross drew the 3-2 full count walk to drive a run across the plate for the 10 Run/5 Inning win at 11-1
Regional action
Not the desired conclusion
by the Lady Indians
Milan 0 vs Scecina 3
As it would turn out, the first half inning of play on Tuesday evening would dictate the conclusion for all practical purposes with little mistakes costing the tribe dearly.
Scecina First
It was not so much what Scecina did right, as it seemed to be what the Lady Indians proceeded to do wrong that spelt disaster early.
The normal atmosphere of being very on their game, found the Lady Indians with some loop holes at inopportune times in this game. An easily caught ball by the Lady Crusaders' first batter left a runner on base that certainly should have been out number one. A routine pop fly just behind second base with Milan's second baseman Holton, shortstop Ross and center fielder Morrissey all watching as the ball hit the ground between them. A strike out by the second Lady Crusader batter and a third to first throw out resulted in two outs rather quickly. Again, the inevitable misfortune when a runner reaches that shouldn't have, two consecutive Lady Crusader batters were hit by a pitch loading the bases.
The next batter drilled the ball for a two RBI shot double. Reloading, Milan's shortstop Shelby Ross made a fantastic catch on a line drive to retire the side, however the damage had been done, now trailing 0-2.
Milan First
Milan pitcher Arielle Noel led the Lady Indian effort at the batters box, gunned down third to first. Left fielder Lizzie Fuller drew a full count walk. Shortstop Shelby Ross hit into a short stop to first double play, ending their opening at bat.
Scecina Second
After swinging and the ball striking the Lady Crusader lead off batter on the hands to start the second inning, she was given first base. A bunt led to a fielder's choice with the pitcher throwing to first for out number one. A high pop up caught by catcher Marki Smith accounted for the second out of the inning. The third out registered as the result of the batter running into her own batted ball in fair territory.
Milan Second
Third baseman Hannah Lohrum led the Indians at bat in the second inning, flying out to the Lady Crusader right fielder. Catcher Marki Smith flew out to the third baseman, followed by center fielder Koehler Morrissey who went down on three strikes.
Scenina Third
The first Lady Crusader batter in the third inning singled leading off. A fielders choice to pitcher Noel retired batter two with the first batter moving to second base. Morrissey retired the third batter, catching a fly ball in center field, and held the runner on second base. The fourth batter managed to single also, however trying to stretch a run out of the play from second base on the hit, Morrissey nailed her at the plate for the third out and killed the scoring attempt.
Milan Third
Lady Indian first baseman LeeAnna White went down on strikes, while Designated Player Brooklyn Honnert was thrown out from second to first and ending the at bat was second baseman Katelyn Holton gunned down from third enroute to first.
Scecina Fourth
Pitched a count of a strike and four balls, Scecina's lead off batter was put on first base. A fielder's choice allowed pitcher Noel to retire thesecond batter of the inning at first base. Lady Indian Shaina Reed caught a fly ball in right for the second out and second baseman Holton retired the next batter with her throw to first to end the Lady Crusader at bat.
Milan Fourth
Lady Indian Noel was retired for the first out. Lady Indians Fuller and Ross each drew strike outs to end Milan's at bat in the fourth inning quickly.
Scecina Fifth
Catcher Smith caught Scecina's lead off batter's foul fly for out number one. Carrying the count full, their second batter drew a walk. A bunt single followed. The runner moving from second to third was called out on the next hit after running into the tag by short stop Ross. The final out was a fly out to Ross also.
Milan Fifth
Lady Indian third baseman Hannah Lohrum sparked hope in the tribe's camp with a lead off single. Catcher Smith's bunt became a fielder's choice sending Lohrum to the dugout. Staci Ollman replaced Smith as the runner at first base. Morrissey bunted her way to base, but White's ensuing fly out ended up urned for a double play, ending the scoring threat.
Scecina Sixth
The opening batter for Scecina went down third to first. Noel rang up another strike out victim, however a throwing error on shortstop Ross allowed the third batter to reach first base. Catcher Smith's throw from home to an outstretched LeeAnna White at first retired the side.
Milan Sixth
Honnert went down second to first for out number one. Holton grounded to third where she was thrown out at first also. Pitcher Noel put some spark back in the Lady Indian camp with her two out single and stolen base. Lizzie Fuller drew the four - 0 pitch walk. Ross followed with a single up the middle, however stretching to make it home from second base on the hit, Noel was called out at the plate on the on target throw to home from center field.
Scecina Seventh
Working the full count to a walk was what the Crusader's seventh inning lead-off batter did. Lady Indian left fielder Lizzie Fuller ran down the fly for the first out. Capturing a single, a pinch runner was installed for Scecina. The second out registered by the Indians in the inning went pitcher Noel to White at first base.
A single drove in a third run for Scecina and a hit batsman put runners on second and first. All for naught as the at bat was retired on a fly out to Lohrum at third base. The team had added a run on a hit with two left on base.
The Lady Indians trailed 0-3, heading to their last at bat.
Milan Seventh
Hannah Lohrum again instilled hope in her teammates with a lead off single to start the seventh for the Lady Indians. Staci Ollman entered to run for Lohrum at first base. Smith grounded out on a fielder's choice, shortstop to first, with Ollman advancing to second base. Koehler Morrissey singled to move Ollman over to third base. LeeAnna White flew out to first base followed by a fly out to second base by Brooklyn Honnert that ended the game.
The Milan Lady Indian extended softball season run would stop abruptly in regional play at MHS, 0-3 to the Scecina Lady Crusaders.

GARY FRANKLIN PHOTO The 2010-11 IHSAA Class 2A Sectional #44 Champion Milan Lady Indians as pictured front from left include: Shelbie Walter, Samantha Stabile, Katelyn Holton, Arielle Noel, Lizzie Fuller,Brooklyn Honnert and Alexis Bergman. Row Two:Shaina Reed, Shelby Ross, Kaitlin Stabile, LeeAnna White, Koehler Morrissey, Marki Smith, Ashley Ahaus, Hannah Lohrum and Staci Ollman. Coaches in back row from left include: Jeff Carson, head coch Yatzie Roysden, Dave Honnert, Brian Owens and Glen Lohrum.