Four softball state champions were crowned over two nights at Bittinger Stadium on the Purdue University campus.
In game one Friday, top-ranked Tecumseh cruised to the 1A title with an 11-5 win over No. 5 South Central of Union Mills.
The game was tied 3-3 after three innings. Then the Braves scored eight times over the final four frames to pull away. Tecumseh outhit South Central 17-7.
The 3A final Friday was a dandy. No. 4 South Bend St. Joseph bested No. 1 Tri-West Hendricks 1-0 in nine innings.
The Indians Haley West doubled with one out in the bottom of the ninth and scored on an error for the game’s only run.
Bruins pitcher Audrey Lowry suffered the loss despite striking out 22 St. Joe hitters.
In the 2A title game Saturday, No. 7 Eastside played small ball to beat No. 8 North Posey 2-1. The Blazers scored a run in the third and fourth innings on squeeze bunts.
The Vikings managed just six hits off Eastside pitcher Natalie Lower but did score a run in the seventh to avoid the shutout.
And in the 4A championship Saturday, the number one ranked team in both the state and the country easily defended their title. Roncalli rolled to a 16-0 victory against ninth-rated Harrison of West Lafayette.
The undefeated Royals produced three state finals records with 16 runs, 16 RBI and 18 hits. Individually, Lyla Blackwell set a new individual mark scoring four times.
Roncall’s Keagan Rothrock was dynamic in the circle allowing just two hits and a walk while fanning 15.
The Royals are only the fifth-ever unbeaten state champion and now have won 46 consecutive games. That’s one short of the state record of 47 set by Lake Central during 2004-05.
Click on this link to see recaps and box scores of all four state championship games.