Mt. Vernon’s Graci Hines winds up to deliver a pitch against Greenfield-Central. Friday, April 29, 2022.
Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
PENDLETON — The Class 4A Sectional 9 softball championship game, at Pendleton’s Legends Field, between host Pendleton Heights (23-6) and Mt. Vernon (13-8) was postponed until today at 6 p.m.
On Wednesday, teams were wrapping up warmups prior to their 6 p.m. scheduled start time when they were called off the field due to lightning. Shortly after 6 p.m., the game was postponed.
It will be the fourth straight sectional tournament the two teams have met. They also played during the regular season as members of the Hoosier Heritage Conference.
In each of the three previous seasons, the team that lost the HHC game came back to eliminate the regular-season winner in the sectional tournament.
In a sectional 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 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 matchup. 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.
In their most recent head-to-head matchup on May 9 at Legends Field, Pendleton Heights defeated Mt. Vernon, by the 10-run mercy rule, 14-1.
Officials at Pendleton Heights said if the game is unable to be played today, it is likely to be contested on Saturday, as Mt. Vernon is scheduled to have graduation ceremonies on Friday.
Mt. Vernon Baseball Sectional Postponed
Due to the probability of severe weather in Hancock County on Wednesday night, the Mt. Vernon Sectional 9 baseball tournament was postponed until today.
The decision was made based on the potential for weather delays, a collective need to protect pitchers’ arms and out of respect for those student-athletes still in school today.
The sectional quarterfinals, originally scheduled for Wednesday, will be conducted today beginning at 5:30 p.m. The first quarterfinal game will be played between host Mt. Vernon and Pendleton Heights, followed by Richmond and Greenfield-Central at approximately 7:30 p.m.
