Hamilton Southeastern clinched an undefeated Hoosier Crossroads Conference championship on Tuesday, and did so in most dramatic fashion.
The Royals came from way back to beat Brownsburg 9-8 in nine innings. The Bulldogs scored six runs in the top of the first inning, so it was an uphill battle that Southeastern eventually won when Ahliza Moore scored on a passed ball in with no outs in the bottom of the ninth.
“It’s unbelievable, said HSE coach David Cook. “What a conference.”
The HCC is a strong conference, and yet the Royals went through it unbeaten.
“We won some big, big ball games and we come out here and have a chance to win it outright, and we don’t get off to a great start, we’re down six runs after the top of the first.”
But the coach told his team to keep battling, and it did.
“We’re a hitting team,” said Cook. “And they hit, too.”
Southeastern got its first run in the bottom of the first inning, when Libby Ratliff hit a right field double to score Abby Taylor. Then with two outs in the fourth inning, the Royals poured in four runs: Lillian Leiner drove a double into left field to send Kennedy Morgan, Nicole Dillow and Taylor home. Seconds later, Jordan Rager doubled in Leiner.
With that, HSE was down only 6-5. The Royals tied the game in the sixth inning when Ratliff batted in Taylor. Neither team scored in the seventh inning, so it was on to extras.
Brownsburg scored twice in the top of the eighth inning, but the Royals answered back in the bottom of the inning. Rager hit her second double, which moved Leiner to third. Cameron Guill came in to run for Rager, and she and Leiner were soon home when Morgan doubled in to left field.
Rager and Ratliff both had three hits, while Leiner, Moore and Dillow each got two hits. Jaylah Guilliam pitched all nine innings for the win.
Southeastern is 19-6 and hosts Ben Davis on Thursday.
Southeastern 9, Brownsburg 8
(9 innings)
Southeastern AB R H RBI
Abby Taylor 3 3 1 0
Lillian Leiner 4 2 2 3
Jordan Rager 5 0 3 1
Cameron Guill 0 1 0 0
Libby Ratliff 5 0 3 2
Nicole Lang 2 0 0 0
Ava Aguilar 3 0 0 0
Kaelin Wincek 4 0 1 0
Kennedy Morgan 1 1 1 2
Abbey Willmann 5 0 1 0
Ahliza Moore 5 1 2 0
Nicole Dillow 5 1 2 0
Totals 42 9 16 8
Score by innings
Brownsburg 600 000 020 – 8 17 4
Southeastern 100 401 021 – 9 16 1
2B: Rager 2, Leiner, Morgan, Ratliff. SAC: Leiner.
Southeastern IP R ER H
Jaylah Guilliam 9 8 5 17
Strikeouts: Guilliam 3. Walks: none.
The Hamilton Southeastern softball team came back to beat Brownsburg in nine innings on Tuesday. With the victory, the Royals clinched an undefeated Hoosier Crossroads Conference championship. (Richie Hall)
Southeastern’s Nicole Dillow had two hits for the Royals. (Andy Duvall)