A landmark for women’s pro basketball Monday, when as anticipated, the WNBA’s Indiana Fever drafted Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark Number 1. Clark, the all-time leading college basketball scorer, man or woman, led her Iowa mates into the national championship game a couple weeks ago, that was eventually won by South Carolina. The higher visibility Clark’s brought to the women’s game was in evidence last night. Tickets hadn’t been sold to the draft since 2008, but Monday it sold out, in 15 minutes. Fever season tickets are also reportedly selling well, in advance of the season, which is only weeks away– it tips off May 10th at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, against the Atlanta Dream. Ticketmaster still shows a few tickets for that opener available, in the upper decks. Pricing’s not certain, except for the fact tickets won’t get any cheaper.
It’s still economical to catch your favorite local stars playing high school softball or baseball this spring. Monday’s scores included on the girls’ softball diamonds, mostly shutouts. Lawrenceburg blanked Oldenburg Academy 21-0… Greensburg stayed unbeaten, shutting out Rushville 1-0… Tri not allowing North Decatur to score, 10-0. Milan closed out Jac-Cen-Del 9-0… Connersville kept Batesville off the board 10-0 also… it was Southwestern of Hanover holding South Ripley scoreless 6-0… and East Central topping Franklin County, 9-2.
The boys of baseball played to these scores– Batesville winning its 2nd game of the season, knocking off Franklin County 6-4… North Decatur going above .500, beating Morristown 7-2… Greensburg edging South Dearborn 6-5… Waldron with a no-hitter over Oldenburg Academy 5–0… Jac-Cen-Del needing 8 innings to get by Milan 3-2… and Southwestern of Hanover knocking off South Ripley, 6-1.
And junior varsity baseball– Coach Rob Lafary’s Batesville Bulldogs belted Franklin County, 11-1 in 5 innings.
Middle school co-ed golf Monday– Batesville took fewer strokes than the St. Louis School, 258-287. And in a middle school track meet, the Batesville girls finished ahead of Greendale and Milan in that order– Greendale winning the boys meet followed by Batesville, then Milan.
Major League Baseball overnight in Seattle… the Mariners topped the Reds in their series opener, 9-3. Cincinnati will try again tonight, the broadcast beginning at 9:10, only on the Sports Voice, 103.9 FM, WRBI.