HOPE — Hauser softball wasted no time in putting away Morristown and wrapping up the outright Mid-Hoosier Conference title Saturday with a 14-0 victory in five innings.
The Class 4A No. 9 Jets plated two runs in the first inning, then exploded for five in the second and six in the third to put the game away.
“I’m very happy for them. It’s been a phenomenal year,” Hauser coach Andy Brunner said. “They put the work in. They’ve done what I asked and what the coaching staff has asked for. Like I said after the game against Columbus North (Thursday), they’ll find a way to figure it out, and they have.”
For the Jets (21-4), Hannah Taylor was 3 for 3 with a double and three RBIs, Reagan Johnson was 2 for 4 with a double and three RBIs and Hannah Johnson was 2 for 2 with a triple. Abby Branum and Kyra Meister each had a double and an RBI.
Paige McDaniel earned the win, giving up only one hit and striking out 10 for the complete-game shutout.
Hauser now turns its focus to sectional play by facing Rising Sun in the first round of the Rising Sun Sectional at 6 p.m. Monday. The winner faces Oldenburg Academy in the semifinals at around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. That winner will face either Jac-Cen-Del or South Decatur for the title at 6 p.m. Thursday.
The Jets will be the favorite to claim the sectional title.
It’ll take them seven more wins to win a second state title. The first one came in 2015.
Brunner said everyone starts at 0-0 beginning Monday night.
“I think we have the capability in playing all seven of them, so I couldn’t be more proud. I’m really happy for these kids,” Brunner said. “It’s now a single-elimination tournament. You can’t afford to have a bad day. You’ve got to hit the ground running every time from the time they say ‘Play ball’ to the time they call ‘Ballgame.’ You’ve got to leave everything you’ve got on that field. I’ve seen a lot of good teams. They’ve got it. I can’t wait to watch them do it.”
