HOPE — Monday night’s softball matchup between Rising Sun and Hauser might have been a sectional title preview.
The Class A co-No. 7 Jets made the early statement that they’re the team to beat.
Hauser got the runs and the hits necessary to roll past the Shiners 9-2. It was a great bounce-back win for the Jets after falling to Brownstown Central last week.
“We gave one up last week to Brownstown when we shouldn’t have. My challenge to them was to get their heads back up until it’s the ballgame. That’s what I wanted to see tonight, and I saw it,” Hauser coach Andy Brunner said. “I’m happy with the performance on both sides. Offense, getting big hits in play and playing small ball as well, it worked very well for us tonight.”
The Jets (3-1) gained a 4-0 lead after four innings. In the bottom of the fifth, Zoee Nading led off with a single. When Nading was attempting to steal second, she collided with the Rising Sun player covering the base. Nading would be OK and continue in the game. After Hannah Taylor reached first on an error, Dani Steward’s sacrifice fly scored Nading. Taylor made the turn to third base following the attempted throw to home, but the catcher made a throwing error over to third, and Taylor scored to increase the lead to 6-0.
The Shiners cut the deficit to 6-2 in the top of the sixth, but Hauser put the game away in the bottom half of the inning. With runners on first and second, Nading laid down a perfect bunt to beat the throw to first to load the bases. Taylor hit a single to score two runs, and then a Rising Sun error scored another run.
After the Shiners put their first two runners on base in the top of the seventh, the Jets ended up retiring the next three batters to seal the win.
Branum went 3 for 3 with a triple, Nading was 3 for 4 with three runs scored, and Reagan Johnson went 2 for 3 for Hauser. Paige McDaniel went the distance to earn the win, striking out eight batters in the process.
“Paige is very dependable. She’s very young. I can’t wait to watch her grow here over the rest of this season and the next three years, as well.” Brunner said. “A lot of good things come from her being in that circle. Yes, they got some base hits, but these teams that we’re playing are going to get base hits, so I don’t expect her to strike everyone out, but I was very happy with her performance.”
