Harrison (West Lafayette) Raiders | Archive | June, 2009

SB 4A FINAL: #4 Center Grove tops #15 Harrison for record fifth title

Posted on 14 June 2009 by .

By Mike McGraw
Executive Director

INDIANAPOLIS – It has to be frustrating to play against Center Grove. The Class 4A fourth-ranked Trojans don’t appear overpowering offensively, and their pitching is not completely unhittable.

No, the problem for opponents is that the Trojans simply do so many things right. All that fundamental soundness led Center Grove (33-3) to a record fifth state softball title June 13 in a 2-0 state championship victory over No. 15 Harrison (West Lafayette).

Harrison had a couple of opportunities to do damage against Trojan senior starter Sarah Franklin. However, every time the Raiders (25-8) put solid wood – or metal, in this case – on the ball, Center Grove made the defensive plays necessary.

That sturdy defense, particularly in the infield, kept the game scoreless into the bottom of the third inning. It was then Center Grove exhibited another of those fundamental traits. This one was called “when you get scoring chances, take advantage of them.”

Center Grove scored twice on an RBI double from senior catcher Sydney Miller and a run-scoring single from senior third baseman Emily Gwaltney. It was the only serious threat the Trojans, who finished with six hits to just one for Harrison, mounted all day against Raiders hurlers senior Morgan Stephens (14-6) and junior Brooke Jordan.

It was also all they would need.

In normal fashion, Gwaltney replaced Franklin (15-2) on the mound in the later innings and continued to stymie the Raider offense. Coach Russ Milligan has used the same tactic all year long. Whenever the opponent begins to bat through the order for the third time, Milligan swaps out 5’10” hurlers between Gwaltney and Franklin.

It has been perhaps the most lethal weapon in the Trojan arsenal.

After the game, Hoosier Authority spoke with the pitching duo about the unique arrangement.

Floyd Central’s Mills named Mental Attitude Award winner
Brittany Mills of Floyd Central was recognized by members of the IHSAA Executive Committee as this year’s recipient of the Mental Attitude Award in Class 4A softball. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, the corporate partner of the IHSAA, presented a $1,000 scholarship to the school in her name.

Mills, who carried a 4.0 GPA, is the valedictorian of her senior class and scored an impressive 2000 on her SAT. She is a member of the National Honor Society, S.T.A.N.D Club, Interact Club, and Spanish Club treasurer. Brittany is a National Achievement Finalist, recipient of the Prominence Scholarship, and the Presidential Scholarship Award.

She also spends her time volunteering with the New Albany Housing Authority and Goodwill.

Brittany has excelled athletically in the sport of softball, having been named this year to the Academic All-State first team, I.C.G.S.A All-District, and second-year All-Conference.

In the fall, the daughter of Houston Mills plans to attend Ohio State University to study Economics.

The box score:

Harrison (West Lafayette) 0 (25-8)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
Courtney, Ashley c…….  3  0  0  0   0  1  3  1   0
Garrett, Jordyn lf…….  3  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Jordan, Brooke 1b/p……  3  0  0  0   0  1  1  1   0
Stephens, Morgan p/1b….  2  0  1  0   1  1  4  1   0
 Storms, Kala pr………  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Mitchell, Megan ss…….  2  0  0  0   1  0  1  1   0
Spitznagle, Jaden 2b…..  3  0  0  0   0  1  3  1   1
DeBoy, Jordan rf………  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Spitznagle, Molly dp…..  1  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   2
Baker, Haley cf……….  2  0  0  0   0  1  3  0   0
Huston, Megan 3b/ph……  1  0  0  0   0  0  3  1   0
Totals………………. 21  0  1  0   2  6 18  6   3

Center Grove 2 (33-3)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
Alberico, Sarah 2b…….  3  1  2  0   0  0  4  1   0
Miller, Sydney c………  2  0  1  1   1  1  6  0   1
Miller, Shelby pr…….  0  1  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Prince, Liz 1b………..  2  0  0  0   1  0  6  0   0
Gwaltney, Emily 3b/p…..  3  0  1  1   0  0  0  4   0
Lamar, Brooklyn pr……  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Music, Shelby lf………  3  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   2
Belsite, Katherine rf….  3  0  2  0   0  0  2  0   0
Shaner, Brittany dp/3b…  2  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   2
Williams, Kelsey cf……  2  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Elsey, Amber ss……….  3  0  0  0   0  0  3  2   2
Franklin, Sarah p/dp…..  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2   0
Totals………………. 23  2  6  2   2  2 21  9   7

Score by innings                        R  H  E
Harrison (WL)          000 000 0 – 0  1  0
Center Grove          002 000 X – 2  6  1

E: Elsey, A. (1). DP: Center Grove 1. LOB: Harrison 3, Center Grove 7. 2B: Alberico, S. (8); Miller, Sy. (10). HBP: Shaner, B. SH: DeBoy, J. (1); Williams, K. (1).

Harrison (W. Laf.)          IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
Stephens, Morgan    2.1  4  2  2  2  0 11 13
Jordan, Brooke        3.2  2  0  0  0  2 12 14

Center Grove                 IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
Franklin, Sarah        5.0  1  0  0  1  1 15 17
Gwaltney, Emily    2.0  0  0  0  1  5  6  7

Win: Franklin, S. (15-2). Loss: Stephens, M. (14-6). Save: Gwaltney, E. (2).
WP: Stephens, M. (1). HBP: by Jordan, B. (Shaner, B.).
Umpires: HP Daren Maierle, 1B Joe Reed, 3B Tim Cooper
Start: 7:30 p.m. Time: 1:25
Weather: 76, partly cloudy, slight wind in from center

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SB 4A SEMIFINALS: #15 Harrison (WL), #4 Center Grove advance

Posted on 12 June 2009 by .

By Mike McGraw
Executive Director
INDIANAPOLIS – Those special moments in sport where athletes make heroic plays are a case of preparation and focus meeting opportunity. Let’s face it: All of us dreamed when we were little about growing up to make the winning shot or get the winning hit in the game that sent our team to a championship. 
In reality, few of us ever get the opportunity to make that kind of play, and even fewer are successful if the opportunity does come along. Well, consider Megan Mitchell of Harrison (West Lafayette) among the fortunate few.
The senior infielder blasted a grand slam home run with two out in the sixth inning June 12 to propel the 15th-ranked Raiders (25-7) past No. 16 Floyd Central and into the Class 4A title game Saturday evening versus fourth-ranked Center Grove. The blast broke open what had been a tense pitching duel for most of the evening at Ben Davis.
The teams traded single runs early in the game, but the offenses then stalled until the fateful sixth. Harrison loaded the bases with nobody out on an error, a single from Ashley Courtney, and a fielder’s choice ground ball off the bat of Jordyn Garrett. Floyd Central attempted to gun down the lead runner at third and failed, leaving everybody safe and the bags stuffed.
It looked as though the Highlanders (23-7-1) would squirm out of the jam. Brooke Jordan hit a sharp bouncer up the middle that was speared, and the throw forced the runner at home. Then, Morgan Stephens grounded into a similar fate. 
That brought Mitchell to the plate. The senior sent a rocket over the fence in left-center to give the Raiders their eventual winning margin of 5-1.
After the game, Mitchell told Hoosier Authority it was a case of hard work paying off. She also made it clear the Raiders aren’t satisfied yet. Her comments are in the video player on this page.
Harrison will vie with Center Grove (32-3), which defeated unranked Lowell (23-11) by a 2-1 count in eight innings in the nightcap. 
This was a game of wide-ranging emotions for the Trojans. They scored the game’s initial run in the opening frame when Liz Prince reached on a two-out error, went to third on a double by Emily Gwaltney, and scored on a single from Shelby Music. For the remainder of the contest, it looked as though Center Grove was about to break the game open against Lowell hurler Lauren Wells.
Somehow, they just never got it done. Mild threat after mild threat went by the boards as the game progressed. When the Red Devils’ Katherine Allert hit an RBI double in the fourth, the contest was suddenly tied 1-1. 
The pitching took control for the rest of regulation. Wells settled down as the game went along, and the Center Grove tandem of starter Sarah Franklin and reliever Gwaltney were outstanding throughout.
Center Grove finally broke through in the top of the eighth, scoring the game’s winning run. It came on an RBI single from senior Brittney Shaner. The ball was not hit hard, but it nestled in the grass between a retreating second baseman and a charging outfield. 
Gwaltney pitched an uneventful bottom of the frame to secure the victory.
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