Softball: Westfield wins all-county game, Tigers cruise past Warren

The REPORTER

The Westfield softball team opened its season by winning an all-county game with Carmel 11-4 Wednesday at the Shamrocks’ field.

Westfield got on the board first, putting up four runs in the second inning. Sofia Easterhaus singled in Sydney Jordan for the first run. Ava Kainrath drew a bases-loaded walk to score Alyssa Ayres, then Chloe Tanner’s left field hit brought home Easterhaus and Makayla Watson.

The Greyhounds scored their first run in the top of the third inning. Jayden Kleiner led off with a double, then got home on Mia Fleming’s center field hit.

The ‘Rocks then scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth, starting with a Kainrath double that brought Mackenzie Delph home. Tanner then cracked a double to right field to score Dylan Todd and Annika Lawrence. Reese Mahannah came up next and sent a home run over the center field fence, also bringing in Tanner. Westfield now led 9-1.

Carmel added three runs in the top of the fifth. Kleiner scored again on a Fleming single, then Ellie Goddard scored on another error. Fleming advanced to third base and was sent home when Emily Smith hit a sacrifice fly.

Westfield scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Mahannah singled home Easterhaus, then Todd scored on a wild pitch.

Tanner totaled four RBIs for the game, with Mahannah batting in three runs on three hits. Tanner pitched four innings for the win, striking out four. Shea Vohs pitched the other three innings, tossing six strikeouts.

Fleming totaled three hits, with Kleiner hitting two doubles. Keira Libel and Carly Wright also hit doubles.

The ‘Rocks play Saturday at Center Grove. Carmel is 0-2 and plays Tuesday at Plainfield

***

Fishers improved to 2-0 by beating Warren Central 12-1 in a Thursday away game.

Cate Summerfield got the Tigers on the board in the second inning with a two-run triple, then scored on Azstryd Alexander’s RBI bunt to give Fishers a 3-0 lead. In the third inning, Frankie Jackson doubled home Hailey Kinder, and Summerfield followed that with a right field hit to bring in Kaylee Sickles.

The Tigers kept rolling in the fourth inning with three more runs. Abby Shannon’s left field double sent Alexander home, then Jackson sent a line drive into left field to score Shannon and Kinder. That gave Fishers an 8-0 lead.

The Warriors scored their run in the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Tigers sprinted to the finish with four runs in the top of the seventh. Shannon singled in Rylee Bast, the Kinder cracked a double to score Sickles and Shannon. Jackson completed the scoring with an RBI fielder’s choice that brought Kinder home.

Alexander and Bast both hit doubles as well. Kinder and Summerfield both finished the game with three hits. Jackson also pitched a complete game, striking out 12 while allowing just two hits and two walks.

The Tigers are back in action Tuesday at Center Grove.

***

Hamilton Heights dropped its season-opener Wednesday, falling to Frankton 8-3 in a home game.

The Eagles jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, then scored another run in the second. The Huskies scored all three of their runs in the fourth inning. Isabel Morrow bunted Melanee Forrester home for the first run, McKenzie Jackson scored on Kenley Scott’s RBI groundout, then Morrow got home on Ava Snelson’s RBI groundout.

Lily Cash and Kamryn Rhoton both hit a double, while Rhoton and Heather Crays both had two hits. Cash pitched a complete game, striking out three.

Heights will host Lapel tonight in a 5:30 p.m. game.

***

Guerin Catholic fell in its first two games of the season this week.

The Golden Eagles lost to Lebanon 18-6 in five innings Wednesday on the road. Guerin Catholic scored all six of its runs in top of the first inning.

Lucy Kemp batted in the first two runs; her center field hit brought Kate Brady and Madi Cain home. Anna Mauch doubled Kemp in, then Mauch scored on Lauren Brady’s right field hit. Brooklyn Fritsche singled Lauren Brady home, and Ava Augustinovicz followed that with a center field hit to score Fritsche.

With that, the Golden Eagles led 6-0. But the Tigers came back to score eight runs in the bottom of the first. Lebanon added two runs each in the second and third innings, then put up six more in the fourth inning.

Cain and Augustinovicz both had two hits.

On Thursday, Guerin Catholic fell to Lapel 2-1 in another away game. The Bulldogs scored both of their runs in the first inning. The Golden Eagles got their run in the sixth inning: Fritsche hit a one-out triple and Augustinovicz batted her home.

Augustinovicz pitched a complete game, striking out seven.

Guerin Catholic plays its first home game of the season Saturday morning, welcoming Living Water Homeschool.