Softball: Rocks head to Harrison for semi-state

The REPORTER

The Westfield softball team will make its first-ever appearance in a semi-state this Saturday.

The Shamrocks punched their ticket to the Class 4A Harrison semi-state by winning their own regional, 6-2 over Western on Tuesday. Westfield takes on No. 4-ranked Fort Wayne Carroll at 1 p.m. in the second semifinal game, following an 11 a.m. showdown between No. 1 Lake Central and No. 3 Penn.

Sounds intimidating, right? Not to the Rocks. Westfield has been proving it can play with the big girls all season. In fact, the Shamrocks proved it during the first week of the season, when they upset then-No. 1 ranked Center Grove in a 9-3 rout.

Westfield faces a Carroll team that is 27-1. The Chargers’ only loss of the year was to Penn, which edged past Carroll 3-1 in eight innings.

The Chargers have yet to yield a run in the postseason. Carroll won its sectional by beating Fort Wayne Northrop 6-0 and Fort Wayne Snider 11-0, then took care of Homestead 5-0 for a regional trophy.

Four players on the Chargers’ roster are batting over .400, starting with Macey Denison at .447. Denison leads the team in hits with 42 and is tied with teammate Jaci Heath for RBIs with 30. Heath leads in runs scored with 32.

Other top hitters for Carroll are Ryleigh McNeilly (.444), Heath (.437) and Kaitlin Molden (.431). Pitcher Taylor Danley is 17-1 for the season and holds an earned-run average of 0.29 with 237 strikeouts.

The Shamrocks are 17-10-1; their tie came against Cathedral on April 17. The teams were knotted at 6-6 after eight innings when the game was called.

Westfield won a tough Zionsville sectional to begin the post-season. The Rocks got past the host Eagles 5-4, needed nine innings to escape Carmel 10-9, then beat Noblesville 3-1 in the championship game.

Senior Sofia Easterhaus leads a strong hitting group, compiling a .484 average with 45 hits and 21 RBIs. Fellow senior Makayla Watson bats .464 and leads the team in hits with 51. Senior Reese Mahannah has the most runs scored with 23.

Junior Mac Delph has thrown 72 strikeouts this season with a 3.56 ERA. Sophomore Olivia Sampia holds a 2.76 ERA with 61 strikeouts.