INDIANAPOLIS — Monday’s Class 2A Sectional 42 first-round softball game between Eastern Hancock and host Heritage Christian was nothing like their regular-season matchup played just three weeks ago.
The Royals are happy the outcome was the same, but after beating the Eagles 18-1 on April 29, they had their work cut out for them in Monday’s 3-0 victory.
The win sends Eastern Hancock (16-6-1) into a 5 p.m. semifinal contest today, at Heritage Christian, against Knightstown, a 15-3 winner against Irvington Prep Academy.
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The hitting performance may not have been similar to the Royals first meeting with Heritage Christian, but the pitching and defense was just how coach Terry Stephens likes it.
Jessi Potts gave up only two hits, didn’t walk anyone and retired the final 17 batters faced after a second-inning infield single.
There were only three strikeouts among the final 17, so Potts relied on a strong defense. There were 11 groundouts during the final stretch and 13 ground ball outs for the game.
In the seventh inning, it was the outfield that shined.
Center fielder Caroline Stapleton opened the inning with a diving catch in center, while right fielder Bailey Stephens ended the contest with a long run and leap for the game’s final out.
For the game, Potts had five strikeouts. Four came during the first run through the Eagles lineup.
“We have a solid defense,” coach Stephens said. “We tell our pitchers, if you walk batters, you don’t give your defense a chance. She did her job. With Jessi, sometimes she’ll get a lot of strikeouts. Sometimes she’ll do like she did tonight. The walks are the most important thing. The defense had the chance to make the plays and they did it.”
Potts pitched in the first meeting, too. She admitted Monday’s game, because it was much closer, was a little more stressful.
Her defense helped take away the stress.
“I trust all those girls out there,” Potts said of the defense. “They’re a solid defense and that’s a good thing to have behind you. As a pitcher, it gives you more comfort.”
While the offense wasn’t plentiful, it was timely.
The Royals biggest production came from Eriel Truitt and Stapleton.
Truitt got the Royals on the board with a two-out solo home run to left field in the second inning.
In the fifth, Megan Bever reached on an infield single. She scored on a two-out triple from Stapleton, who added to her single-season school record with No. 11. Stapleton finished with three of the Royals’ six hits. She also had two stolen bases.
The third and final run also came after two outs. In the sixth, with two outs, Maddie Turner reached on an error. She moved to third on a Truitt double and scored on a wild pitch.
“It didn’t work out (like the first meeting), but that’s okay, a win’s a win,” Truitt, the team’s catcher, said.
“(Jessi) was hitting all her spots. She’s a great pitcher and she had a lot of movement, today. When (Heritage Christian) was hitting the ball, our defense was diving and doing everything they could do. I knew if it was hit, our defense was going to get it.”
Today’s game is another rematch for the Royals. They beat the rival Panthers 4-2 in the season opener on April 9. The Panthers eliminated the Royals in last year’s sectional.
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Eastern Hancock 3, Heritage Christian 0
EH (16-6-1);010;011;0;—;3;6;0
HC (7-11);000;000;0;—;0;2;2
WP: Jessie Potts. LP: Brooke Porter.
HR: Eriel Truitt (EH). 3B: Caroline Stapleton (EH). 2B: Eriell Truitt (EH), Brooke Porter (HC). RBI: Eriel Truitt, Caroline Stapleton (NP).
Notables: Jessie Potts WP, 2-hitter, 0 BB, 5 K, retired final 17; Caroline Stapleton 3-for-4, 3B, RBI, 2 SB; Eriel Truitt 2-for-3, 2B, HR, RBI (EH).
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