Mt. Vernon’s Graci Hines throws from the circle against Muncie Central during the Class 4A Sectional 9 semifinals at Pendleton Heights High School on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Tom Russo/Daily Reporter)
PENDLETON — For the fourth straight season, Mt. Vernon and Pendleton Heights will meet with it all on the line.
On Tuesday, at Pendleton Heights Legends Field, Mt. Vernon defeated Muncie Central 18-1 in the second semifinal game of the Class 4A Sectional 9 softball tournament.
It was a season-high run total for the Marauders.
In an earlier game on Tuesday, Pendleton Heights, ranked No. 7 in the Class 4A Softball Coaches Association of Indiana poll, defeated Anderson 13-0. The Arabians are 23-6.
“I am so proud of them. I am so proud they are in this moment to be able to fight for the sectional championship,” Mt. Vernon head coach Veronica Kirby said. “This is a great moment. This is a whole new season. We have two (tournament) wins under our belt. Let’s go get another one.”
The Marauders, 13-8 overall, dominated the Bearcats, who had just 10 players available for the game and finished their season, according to games reported on MaxPreps.com, 2-10.
With seven hits, a pair of walks and a Bearcat error, Mt. Vernon scored nine times in the first inning. Graci Hines had two hits and two RBI in the opening frame. Shelby Rakosky also had a two-hit inning, which included a leadoff double. Alexis Beeler had a two-run single.
For the game, the Marauders had 13 hits from nine different players. Eleven different players scored runs. Rakosky had three hits. Hines and Easton Wampler each had two. Victoria Jenson, Hannah Matthews, Hines, Wampler and Beeler each had two RBI.
“It’s really important,” Rakosky said on getting off to a good start. “We started off with all of our starters in the game. It was important to get those runs in quick to give other people the opportunity to play.”
Hines and Jenson combined to throw a two-hitter. Hines, the starter, struck out four in two innings of work. Jenson fanned seven in three innings.
Kirby said a key to the team’s win in a tight opening round game against Greenfield-Central, on Monday, was its focus. She said they had to have a different type of focus with her team being in complete control from the outset.
“We made some base-running mistakes early because we lost focus,” Kirby said. “We did some little things where we weren’t completely involved and focused in the game. I told them we can’t do those things. Once we addressed that we got better. The dugout got better, we got focused and we did a better job adjusting to that.”
The Marauders and Arabians met in the sectional finals or semifinals in each of the last three tournaments. In all three seasons the team that lost the Hoosier Heritage Conference regular season matchup won in the tournament.
In a tournament semifinal contest in 2018, Pendleton Heights defeated Mt. Vernon 3-1 on its way to winning the sectional title over Anderson. During the regular season, Mt. Vernon run-ruled Pendleton Heights 13-3.
The tables were turned in both 2019 and 2021 (There was no tournament due to the pandemic in 2020).
The Arabians beat the Marauders 12-0 during the 2019 regular season. In the sectional title game, Mt. Vernon won a nine-inning thriller 2-1.
Last season, again, the Arabians run-ruled the Marauders, 13-3, in their HHC contest. In the sectional championship game it was the Marauders sending the Arabians home after five innings, with a 13-1 victory. Mt. Vernon went on to reach the Class 4A semistate.
“It’s really exciting. We had the same opportunity last year and I am really excited to try to win again,” Rakosky said. “Last year, we had the same thing. We lost to them in the regular season and then we beat them (in the sectional final). I am hoping we can do the same thing again. They’re a good team.”
“I love (being able to play for the championship) and I am excited for our team,” Kirby added. “I love great games and I love playing good competition and good opponents. It’s good softball. I can’t wait.”
The championship game is scheduled for today at 6 p.m. It was moved up one day due to weather concerns. The teams would not be able to play on Friday due to graduation ceremonies at Mt. Vernon.
The winner of Sectional 9 will travel to the winner of Sectional 10 next Tuesday, May 31. North Central, which beat Lawrence North 3-1 on Tuesday in a semifinal, Ben Davis and Arsenal Tech are the remaining teams in the Sectional 10 tournament at Ben Davis High School.
Mt. Vernon 18, Muncie Central 0
Muncie Central (2-10);000;10; —;1;2;5
Mt. Vernon (13-8);951;3x; —;18;13;0
2B: Shelby Rakosky (3-for-3, 3 runs, 1 RBI), Drew Fithian, Hannah Matthews, Ainsley Baer (MV).
WP: Graci Hines. LP: Ciera Horn.
