PENDLETON — The Pendleton Heights softball team will meet conference foe New Castle again in less than a week when sectional play begins. The Arabians will be hoping for a different result than they experienced on Tuesday.
Sophomore Cameron Tabor hit a three-run home run, and the Trojans beat back multiple Arabian comeback efforts, as New Castle knocked off Pendleton Heights 12-9 at Legends Field.
Tabor’s blast capped a six-run second for New Castle (10-9) that got the scoring started. The Arabians came back to score three in the third and got within two runs on an RBI grounder by Olivia Conner in the fourth.
But New Castle scored a run in the fifth, and Haylie Graham hit a three-run double, to extend the Trojan lead back to six at 10-4.
Pendleton Heights (17-8) battled back again. A Mickala Winans sacrifice fly and RBI doubles by Conner and Savannah Hawhee returned the deficit to two at 10-8.
But they would get no closer as Mariah Nicholson doubled home two more for the Trojans in the seventh. Amanda White hit her fourth home run of the year in the bottom of the seventh for Pendleton Heights to cap the scoring.
The Arabians travel to Greenfield-Central today and to Yorktown Thursday to wrap up the regular season before opening sectional play against New Castle Monday, May 22, at Greenfield-Central.
Vs. Martinsville
With two outs in the seventh and one of the best young hitters in the state on deck in a one-run game, Audrey Ricker knew what she needed to do. First, she had to reassure her coach; secondly, she had to get the batter out.
On Senior Night, Friday, May 12, the senior pitcher get both done quickly.
Ricker pitched a complete game, retiring the final seven batters she faced, and junior Lauren Landes capped a sixth-inning rally with a two-run go-ahead double as Pendleton Heights won its fourth-straight game with a 5-4 decision against Martinsville.
After retiring the first two batters in the seventh on routine grounders, Sarah Kush represented the final hope for the Artesians. But the hitter on deck, freshman Paige Dorsett, who entered the game batting .500 with eight home runs and fielding recruiting offers from Indiana and UCLA, was foremost on everyone’s mind, including coach Rob Davis as he went to the mound to speak with Ricker.
“I went out there to calm everybody down, but they calmed me down,” Davis said. “They said, ‘Hey, we got this, coach’.”
Ricker knew Dorsett would be the fourth batter in the seventh. Her goal was to make sure she never left the on-deck circle.
“All of my focus was on those first three batters,” Ricker said. “Your focus is on getting them to hit a grounder or a nice pop-up and let my fielders do their thing.”
“I told coach not to worry about it, we got it,” she added.
The next pitch, Kush bounced out to third base and the game was over, with Dorsett in the on-deck circle. Ricker had secured a significant win.
“It meant a lot,” Ricker said after the final out. “For our seniors and for Landes — since we’ve played together for so long — it’s a special moment for us.”
Pendleton Heights (17-7) trailed entering the sixth and had produced few threats against Martinsville starter and future IUPUI player Lexis Lucas. But in the sixth, after the first two batters reached, seniors Jade Mollenkopf and Shelbie Longere delivered RBI singles to pull the Arabians within one. After a sacrifice and a fielder’s choice, Landes hammered a 2-2 pitch into the left field corner scoring two and delivering the lead for her lifelong teammate, Ricker.
“It was important to me because it’s Senior Night and she’s one of my best friends,” Landes said. “I was just thinking about getting a hit and doing it for my team.”
