By Grant Davis
HoosierAuthority.com

INDIANAPOLIS – “REFUSE!”

As the Cass softball team breaks each of its huddles, the Kings holler that word in referencing their refuse-to-lose attitude since a 5-9 start to the season. The word couldn’t have rung any more true for them, then, than during the Class 2A state championship game June 10 at North Central (Indianapolis) as Cass (21-11) made an improbable comeback in the bottom of the sixth inning to capture a 2-1 victory over No. 16 Bremen.

Making the win even more improbable was the fact that Bremen (23-9), whose only run came in the third inning, threatened in every inning but the fourth and fifth. The Lions went up 1-0 in the third when starting pitcher Jenni Andrews reached on an error, moved to second on a wild pitch by Cass senior Amie Sites (21-9), got to third on a flyout by sophomore Casey Hueni, and scored on senior Jenny Fraine’s looping single to right.

Despite outhitting Cass 8-5, however, that would be the Lions’ lone run of the night.

Down by that 1-0 score heading to the bottom of the sixth, Cass was entering crunch time with their bats having gone quiet against Andrews (23-9) as the senior hurler had retired 14 of the previous 16 batters. But things started looking up for the Kings when senior Taylor DeHaven got a lead-off walk.

She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by classmate Molly Naphew, then sped her way to third on a groundout by freshman Ellie Cain. To the plate came Leandra Baber, whose day had not been good as the junior had failed to reach base in both the Kings’ semifinal victory over Southwestern (Hanover) and against Bremen.

But the lefty took the first pitch to left field with a solid game-tying single, and the whole “refuse” movement began to take shape for Cass.

Freshman Peyton Klinkhamer followed with a single to move sophomore pinch-runner Sarah Robertson to second. Freshman Mallory Cummings then walked to load the bases, and senior Emily Watkins delivered the game-winning hit that plated Robertson with a little blooper between third and the pitcher’s mound that no one could reach.

The Kings were three outs away from their second state championship in three seasons, but it wouldn’t be easy.

Back-to-back singles by senior Rachel Jensen and senior Courtney Bahr put Bremen baserunners at first and second with no outs, but two straight slap bunts to third baseman Watkins turned into two forceouts at third, Klinkhamer coming over from shortstop to calmly catch each throw and cut down the lead runner each time.

A groundout by Hueni to DeHaven at second then sparked a state championship celebration on the Kings’ side of the field.

Three girls smacked out two hits in the game: Fraine and senior Amanda LaFree for Bremen, which was making its second state finals appearance in four years, and Watkins for Cass.

Fittingly for this freaky weather “weekend,” the sky opened up for a second time during the championship game just as the final championship medallion was hung on first-year coach Scott Rouch. But he didn’t care, nor did any of the Kings.

The beautiful wooden championship trophy in the shape of Indiana was headed back to Walton for a second time.

Semifinal 1: #16 Bremen 2, South Spencer 1
After the first of an interminable number of weekend washouts, the first 2A semifinal game between Bremen and South Spencer resumed in the fourth inning of a scoreless tie. South Spencer promptly loaded the bases with one out in the bottom half of the frame, but shortstop Bahr made a diving catch of a line drive and quickly fired the ball to third for a double play.

South Spencer, the 1A state runner-up in 1999, would capitalize on its next chance in the fifth. A one-out single followed by a sacrifice bunt put a runner at second with two outs, and a single finally dented the scoreboard.

But Bremen, which was outhit 6-1 by the Rebels, rallied in the seventh. After the first two Lions quickly made outs to push their backs completely to the wall, the next batter reached on an error by senior shortstop Kyndal Thompson. The following batter walked, putting runners at first and second.

A grounder to shortstop resulted in an overthrow by Thompson, allowing two runs to cross the plate. Devastatingly for South Spencer, the inning ended with Bremen on top without the benefit of a hit. The Rebels (20-11) could not recover in the bottom of the inning.
                                  
Semifinal 2: Cass 2, Southwestern (Hanover) 0    
Southwestern (Hanover), which had bounced top-ranked defending 2A state champion Indianapolis Scecina in the regional round, led off Game 2 with a single. Little did the Rebels know that senior pitcher Devin Brierly’s single would be their only hit.

Sites refocused to pitch a remarkable game, retiring the final 21 batters and getting seven strikeouts en route to a 2-0 win.

The ballgame hurried through four innings of play with no serious threat from Cass. The fifth inning rolled around, however, and the drama began to unfold.

Cummings led off the top of the inning with a single that was misplayed, resulting in Cummings advancing to second. Watkins then followed with a sacrifice bunt that was bobbled by Brierly, and the stage was set for senior Krista Weber … sort of.

Lightning struck in the area, and then the rain came – again! The game was suspended for two and half hours. When the game resumed with runners on first and third with no outs, Weber – the Kings’ No. 9 hitter – crushed a double over senior centerfielder Sonja Bowyer’s head that plated Cummings and left Watkins at third.

Senior Jennifer Berlet followed with an RBI single, and not-so-suddenly the Kings had a 2-0 lead.

Southwestern’s last gasp in the bottom of the seventh started and effectively ended on the first pitch of the inning. That’s when junior Brittany Gavelek laced a drive into what appeared to be the gap in right-centerfield, but Berlet made a sensational running catch that saved a sure double for the Rebels (18-7).

The final two outs came easy, and the Kings had punched their ticket to their second state championship game in three years.
    
Bremen’s Andrews named Mental Attitude Award winner
Jenni Andrews of Bremen was selected as the winner of the Mental Attitude Award following the championship game. Farm Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA’s corporate partner, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Bremen in her name.

At the conclusion of each championship game, the IHSAA Executive Committee presents an award for mental attitude to an outstanding senior participant in each classification of the state tournament. The recipient of the award, nominated by her principal and coach, was determined to have best demonstrated mental attitude, scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability in softball.

Andrews, the No. 1 pitcher for the Lions this season, entered the state finals with a 22-8 record and an earned run average of 1.58 with 175 strikeouts in 191 innings pitched. She also led Bremen in batting average (.453), hits (48), and runs (31).

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