– Photo courtesy of Rossville Hornet Softball
The Rossville Hornets softball team snagged their first Semi-State Championship title in school history Saturday night following two shutout wins in the Semi-State series to secure their spot in the upcoming State Championship at Purdue University.
In the Semi-State Semi-Finals, the Hornets faced off against the Morgan Township Cherokees where they ended the game in only five innings to advance to the Semi-State Finals. The Hornets’ bats would fire up immediately as they batted in four runs in the first inning, followed by two runs in the second inning and six runs in the fourth inning to end the game in only five innings with a score of 12 to 0.
During the game, the Hornets would smash 16 hits and rack up 0 errors for perfect game. Morgan Township would be held to 0 hits throughout the game and would only rake in one error, showcasing the Hornets’ blazing bats that led them to victory.
Pitcher Avery Layton was a strong contender for the main actor of the defense for the Hornets as she pitched for the entire 5-inning game, racking up 14 strikeouts throughout the five innings.
On the offensive side, the Hornets secured their victory early and continued to prove their dominant performance with 27 at bats, 12 total runs, 16 hits, 11 RBIs, two doubles, two home runs and one grand slam to seal the game early.
Layton, Megan McDonald and Autumn Paschal were celebrated for their home runs during the game, and Paschal was a leading factor in the Hornets’ extensive lead with a grand slam.
The Hornets would vie for the Semi-State Champion title for the first time in the school’s history against the Tri Titans, and the first inning would set the stage for the remainder of the game with the Hornets swiftly pulling ahead with a score of 5 to 0. Both teams would hold each other to 0 additional runs for the next five innings before the Hornets scored three more runs, resulting in a final score of 8 to 0.
The Hornets would rack up 8 hits throughout the game with 0 errors in the field compared to Tri’s 1 hit and 5 errors. The Hornets would see nine walks, eight strikeouts, four bases reached on errors and two fielder’s choice throws on the offensive side, which resulted in one base stolen by Nova Smith, four bases stolen by Addi Gorbett and two bases stolen by Caydence Robey.
Layton would once again lead the Hornets on the mound with 19 strikeouts in the seven innings, which rose above the three walks and one hit added to her record. With Layton’s 19 strikeouts and three walks out of the 25 batters faced, only three batters were able to connect with the ball.
The Hornets will travel to Bittinger Stadium at Purdue University this Saturday, June 8 at 4:30 p.m. to face off against the Tecumseh Braves, who rose above their competition in the Semi-State series, claiming victory over Clay City with a score of 7 to 4 and Rising Sun with a score of 14 to 2 for the Semi-State Champion title. The two teams will vie for the 1A State Championship Title.
According to the stats, the Braves average only a slightly higher amount of runs per game with 9.2 to 8.8 in favor of the Braves alongside 1.7 more average hits. However, the Hornets average a higher first inning average for scoring alongside a higher mid-game average in the fourth inning and a higher closing average in the seventh inning, showcasing how the Hornets become a threat on offense during every stage of the game.
Hornets Stats vs. Morgan Township:
Avery Layton: 3-3, HR, 2B, 4 RBI
Megan McDonald: 2-2, HR, 4 RBI
Caydence Robey: 1-3, 2 RBI
Finley Gibson: 3-4, 2B
Addi Gorbett: 2-3
Allie Elliot: 2-3
Autumn Paschal: 1-2, GS
Reyna St. Myer: 1-3, RBI
Gracie McDonald: 1-4
Hornets Stats vs. Tri:
Allie Elliott: 0-3
Finley Gibson: 2-5, RBI, 2B
Addi Gorbett: 2-4, RBI
Cortney Huffman: 0-4
Avery Layton: 0-1
Gracie McDonald: 0-5
Autumn Paschal: 1-3, 2 RBI, HR
Megan McDonald: 0-3
Caydence Robey: 3-4, 2 RBI