Lady 'Cats Hold On To Claim Regional
May 31, 2017 at 3:46 p.m.
Lady 'Cats Hold On To Claim Regional
By Mark [email protected]
The game was scoreless in the top of the fifth when Lady Wildcats senior Kennedy Krull crushed a home run to center field with a borrowed bat. Her usual stick was disqualified in a pre-game inspection.
“I was really emotional before the game. I just got that bat about a month ago so it kind of really hit me by surprise that they were going to toss it out,” said Krull. “I’ve really been loving on that bat so I was a little emotional, a little upset about it, but, I mean, we used somebody’s else’s bat and that happened so I’m not complaining anymore.”
“She threw me a meatball right down the middle, and if there’s anywhere to put it, that’s where to put it.”
The Class 2A No. 10 Lady Wildcats added a pair of runs in the sixth inning by taking advantage of Winamac mental mistakes. Twice the Lady Warriors threw to the wrong base, allowing runners to move up a spot. Andrea Snavely and Reannon Hopkins had RBI singles in the inning.
In the seventh inning, Whitko added a pair of insurance runs with a walk and three consecutive singles. The Lady ‘Cats missed out on a chance to score more runs by losing a runner at third. Ellie Snep just barely got under a pitch and flew out deep to left.
“We took advantage of their throws. Our game plan is always just to jump on it and go. When we lay back is when we get in trouble,” Whitko coach Michele Garr said.
Winamac, tied for No. 15 in the final poll with five other teams, would not go quietly. The Lady Warriors’ last gasp opened with a walk and a pair of singles that plated one run. A groundout plated another run, then freshman Kelsey Crawford cranked a two-run homer to right center that brought the tying run to the plate with two outs.
Snep, who has pitched to contact all season long, got Gabrielle Behny to ground out to Hopkins and start another celebration.
“Going in I knew if I just let the girls put the ball in play, my defense would back me up,” Snep said. “When she hit the home run, I was like ‘no big deal’ because Ree came back and got the out.”
Garr added “I thought we were OK with five. We let them get four and I’m not too happy about that one, but getting the third out makes up for that.”
Players, coaches and fans roamed the field in celebration for an hour after the game, soaking it all in.
“This is our school’s first regional title, and on top of that I’ve waited all four years of my high school career to come home a champion,” Krull said. “The emotions are overwhelming and unreal. It’s amazing.”
Looking Ahead
The LaVille Semistate at Newton Park will be loaded. Whitko plays No. 3 South Adams at 1 p.m., following the first semifinal. No. 15 Hammond Bishop Noll plays at Boone Grove in a regional today, with the winner facing top-ranked Elwood in the 11 a.m. semistate semifinal. The title game is set for 7 p.m.
On the other side of the bracket, the Forest Park Semistate features No. 6 Indianapolis Scecina Memorial playing Linton-Stockton in one semifinal and No. 4 Northeastern taking on No. 8 Henryville on Saturday.
The state championship game is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis on June 10.
WHITKO 5, WINAMAC 4
Wh 000 012 2 – 5 9 1
Wi 000 000 4 – 4 8 3
Whitko – Ellie Snep (W, 7IP. 8H, 5R, 5ER, 2BB, 5K).
Winamac – Mandy Hettinger (L, 5-plus IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 6K), Kelsey Crawford (2IP, 5H, 3R, 2ER, 1BB, 4K)
HR – Kennedy Krull (Wh), Crawford (Wi)
Records: Winamac 23-4, Whitko 23-5
The game was scoreless in the top of the fifth when Lady Wildcats senior Kennedy Krull crushed a home run to center field with a borrowed bat. Her usual stick was disqualified in a pre-game inspection.
“I was really emotional before the game. I just got that bat about a month ago so it kind of really hit me by surprise that they were going to toss it out,” said Krull. “I’ve really been loving on that bat so I was a little emotional, a little upset about it, but, I mean, we used somebody’s else’s bat and that happened so I’m not complaining anymore.”
“She threw me a meatball right down the middle, and if there’s anywhere to put it, that’s where to put it.”
The Class 2A No. 10 Lady Wildcats added a pair of runs in the sixth inning by taking advantage of Winamac mental mistakes. Twice the Lady Warriors threw to the wrong base, allowing runners to move up a spot. Andrea Snavely and Reannon Hopkins had RBI singles in the inning.
In the seventh inning, Whitko added a pair of insurance runs with a walk and three consecutive singles. The Lady ‘Cats missed out on a chance to score more runs by losing a runner at third. Ellie Snep just barely got under a pitch and flew out deep to left.
“We took advantage of their throws. Our game plan is always just to jump on it and go. When we lay back is when we get in trouble,” Whitko coach Michele Garr said.
Winamac, tied for No. 15 in the final poll with five other teams, would not go quietly. The Lady Warriors’ last gasp opened with a walk and a pair of singles that plated one run. A groundout plated another run, then freshman Kelsey Crawford cranked a two-run homer to right center that brought the tying run to the plate with two outs.
Snep, who has pitched to contact all season long, got Gabrielle Behny to ground out to Hopkins and start another celebration.
“Going in I knew if I just let the girls put the ball in play, my defense would back me up,” Snep said. “When she hit the home run, I was like ‘no big deal’ because Ree came back and got the out.”
Garr added “I thought we were OK with five. We let them get four and I’m not too happy about that one, but getting the third out makes up for that.”
Players, coaches and fans roamed the field in celebration for an hour after the game, soaking it all in.
“This is our school’s first regional title, and on top of that I’ve waited all four years of my high school career to come home a champion,” Krull said. “The emotions are overwhelming and unreal. It’s amazing.”
Looking Ahead
The LaVille Semistate at Newton Park will be loaded. Whitko plays No. 3 South Adams at 1 p.m., following the first semifinal. No. 15 Hammond Bishop Noll plays at Boone Grove in a regional today, with the winner facing top-ranked Elwood in the 11 a.m. semistate semifinal. The title game is set for 7 p.m.
On the other side of the bracket, the Forest Park Semistate features No. 6 Indianapolis Scecina Memorial playing Linton-Stockton in one semifinal and No. 4 Northeastern taking on No. 8 Henryville on Saturday.
The state championship game is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis on June 10.
WHITKO 5, WINAMAC 4
Wh 000 012 2 – 5 9 1
Wi 000 000 4 – 4 8 3
Whitko – Ellie Snep (W, 7IP. 8H, 5R, 5ER, 2BB, 5K).
Winamac – Mandy Hettinger (L, 5-plus IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 6K), Kelsey Crawford (2IP, 5H, 3R, 2ER, 1BB, 4K)
HR – Kennedy Krull (Wh), Crawford (Wi)
Records: Winamac 23-4, Whitko 23-5
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