RISING SUN — Class A No. 7 Hauser ended the Rising Sun softball Sectional by celebrating at home plate with the sectional trophy in hand for the fifth consecutive year after beating Jac-Cen-Del 5-0 on Thursday.
Jets pitcher Tessa Sims followed her no-hitter on 87 pitches in Wednesday’s semifinal game with a two-hitter on 83 pitches against the No. 11 Eagles. She had 12 strikeouts with one walk and went 2 for 3 with an RBI to be named the sectional MVP.
Hauser’s Katie Taylor, Hunter Crain and Shelby Fugate also made the All-Sectional team.
“Coming into the game, I was tired because I pitched a full seven innings (Wednesday), but all around, my defense was behind me, so I was feeling good,” Sims said.
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The game started as a pitchers’ battle between Sims and Jac-Cen-Del’s Morgen Carroll. Carroll retired eight of her first 10 batters on seven strikeouts, while Sims didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning.
Sydney Schoen got the Jets (20-5) rolling in the third inning with two out by getting on base with a single. That allowed Fugate and Sims to hit back-to-back RBI-doubles to give Hauser a 2-0 lead against what Jets coach Craig Sims said was some of the best pitching they’ve seen all year.
“I felt like we got better every at bat in every inning,” Craig Sims said. “We just kept making adjustments and kept making adjustments … We were putting pressure on the defense, and that was the game plan. Put pressure on the defense, and don’t let Caroll beat you because she’s good enough to beat you.”
Tessa Sims continued with her solid pitching to help the Jets keep their 2-0 lead until a Jac-Cen-Del error, Mykenzie Ault single and a hit by pitch left the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth. Fugate, who went 2 for 3 with four RBIs, hit a three-run double to push the lead to five.
“I knew I had to do what was best for my team,” Fugate said of her hitting. “When I hit the ball, and I hit it well and I scored some runs, I was like that’s what they needed, and that’s what I needed to make this team good.”
The Eagles (18-6) got on base with a single and a walk in the top of the fifth and hit another single in sixth inning, but never threatened the Hauser lead. Carroll ended with nine strikeouts and allowed eight hits for Jac-Cen-Del.
Craig Sims said he likes his team’s odds of advancing through the regional if it continues to play like it has been.
“The best team (doesn’t) always win; it’s the team that plays the best seven innings,” he said. “I feel like we can beat anybody, and I feel like anybody can beat us, but if we play to our potential, I like out chances.”
