FAIRLAND — The offensive spark that Eastern Hancock found in its 16-0 win over Northeastern in the sectional championship carried over into the regional round.
It fueled them to their fourth regional softball title in school history.
On the road at Triton Central on Tuesday, the Royals (26-2) defeated the host Tigers (16-9) 14-0 in the IHSAA Class 2A Regional 22 Championship.
For the Royals strong senior class, it was a return to holding the regional trophy. Eastern Hancock last won the title in 2022 when Terry Stephens, now an assistant with the team, was the head coach.
“Coming in the first year we knew that Terry had done a great job with the program. It’s my fourth year on the staff too, and we’ve really tried to build that chemistry,” Eastern Hancock head coach David Trackwell said. “All the kudos in the world to these girls. They did a phenomenal job.”
That senior class, led by Sammie Bolding and Brooklyn Willis, came up big in Tuesday’s win.
The pair got the Royals started from the jump. Willis walked to lead off the game, and Bolding smashed her ninth home run of the season over the left field fence to put Eastern ahead 2-0.
“It was an awesome first inning. That’s really a stress reliever,” Trackwell said. “We came in with a game plan and executed and it really paid off.”
Ahead 4-0 in the third, Willis walked for the third time to bring in a run, and Bolding singled in two more runs to break the game open and put the Royals ahead 7-0.
In the seventh, Bolding launched a three-run blast for her second home run of the game. She finished the night 3-for-4 with seven RBI.
It’s one of those things where she was panicked if her surgery messed up her swing. We told her she’d get hot at the right time, and guess what, she’s hot at the right time. We had all the faith in the world, and knew it would happen.”
Eastern Hancock scored its two second-inning runs on a passed ball and a Triton Central error. Emree Truitt singled to lead off the inning and later came around to score on the passed ball, and senior Cameron Spegal reached on a bunt-single before eventually scoring on a dropped popup with two outs.
The Royals added seven more runs in the seventh to extend the lead on four singles, two Triton Central errors and the Bolding three-run home run.
In the circle, the Royals duo of Kenna Stewart and Tatem Adams continued their lights-out postseason.
The pair threw their third shutout of the postseason, allowed only two hits and struck out a combined 11 batters.
Triton Central got baserunners in every inning but only threatened to score twice.
In the third, Jayda McKee singled and Brylie Couch walked with two outs before a passed ball moved the two into scoring position. Stewart struck out the Tigers cleanup hitter, Lillian Fillippinie, to end the inning.
And in the sixth, the Tigers used a pair of walks to put runners on the corners, but Adams struck out Makinah Noel to end the threat.
“Having a goose egg up there allows us to play a bit more relaxed,” Trackwell said. “It was just like our pitches have done all year. They came up clutch and overcame obstacles. We’ve got all the faith in them.”
In the first, second, fourth, fifth and seventh the Tigers put a runner on first, but the Royals wouldn’t allow them to go any farther.
Stewart started the game and pitched four innings. She walked three, allowed two hits and struck out seven.
After the first base runner of the fifth reached base on an error, the Royals turned to Adams to close things out. She struck out the first batter she faced and a diving catch by Bolding at shortstop and throw to first for the double play ended the inning.
Adams pitched the final three frames, allowed no hits, walked three and struck out three.
The Royals will play Brownstown Central in the 2A semi-state at Forest Park. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday.
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Eastern Hancock 14, Triton Central 0
Eastern Hancock (26-2);223;000;7;—;14;11;1
Triton Central (16-9);000;000;0;—;0;2;3
Kenna Stewart, Tatem Adams (5) and Camryn Blue; Brylie Couch, Lillian Fillippinie (4) and Jalynn Keith. HR: EH – Sammie Bolding 2 (10). WP: Stewart (13-1). LP: Couch (4-2).
