Hauser’s Maley Jordan is tagged out at home plate by Columbus East catcher Addy Ross during a game Tuesday at Columbus East High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Tied 3-3 going to the bottom of the sixth against Class 2A No. 7 Hauser on Tuesday, Columbus East senior Addy Ross had some words of encouragement for freshman Baleigh Fish, who was set to lead off the inning.
Fish came through with a single, Ross followed with a single and the Olympians went on to score five runs in the inning to claim an 8-3 softball victory.
“I talked to Baleigh at the beginning of that inning and told her we just have to put the ball in play to get the team going, and she produced,” Ross said. “Then, after she produced, I produced, and everybody just kept going. We did good as a team, and we all produced.”
After Fish and Ross moved up on a groundout, Daisy Logan reached on a bunt single, with the runners holding at second and third. Raegyn Foster then drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Fish with the go-ahead run.
Hauser pitcher Paige McDaniel came through with a strikeout, but then Jade Hampton hit a pop fly behind first base that fell for a two-run single. Back-to-back errors then plated two more runs for the Olympians (5-2).
“It all starts with one hit, and as you feed off of your other hits, all of the girls behind you just become more confident,” Fish said. “We all work as a team, we’re all talking, we’re all cheering each other on.”
“We had some really good at-bats,” East coach Rusty Brummett added. “I thought Raegyn Foster had a great at-bat when she had gotten down two strikes, and she was fouling off and fouling off and eventually drew a walk. Then, Jade got up put a nice ball in play down the right field line for us. People got up, and they put the ball in play. Anytime you’re making the defense field something, you’re putting pressure on them.”
The Jets (1-2) were playing their first game in 14 days.
“We didn’t play defense,” Hauser coach Andy Brunner said. “Errors. Not understanding that we have two outs, and we need the third out to get us out of an inning. Missed pop-flies. I’m not taking anything away from their team. They are a great team, and I enjoy playing these (Olympians) and I enjoy the way they run their program. We played a solid ballgame up until that point. We just didn’t finish, and it takes 21 outs.”
The Jets jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when Lucie Asher led off the game with a double to center, went to third on a single by Izzy Brunner and scored on a one-out single by Maley Jordan. But Izzy Brunner was left stranded a third when East pitcher Hermione Robinson thwarted an attempted squeeze, then came up with another groundout to end the inning.
East quickly tied it in the bottom of the first against Hauser starter Haven Hartwell on a home run to left by Fish. The Olympians then took the lead when Ross followed with a single and Robinson doubled, scoring courtesy runner Ariel Darnell.
“The Fish girl, that ball she hit in the first inning, I don’t think that thing has landed yet,” Andy Brunner said. “Very impressive.”
East made it 3-1 in the third when Fish smacked a two-out double, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Ross.
The Jets got the run back in the top of the fourth on a leadoff home run by Jordan. They tied the game in the fifth when Asher led off with a single, stole second, went to third when the throw to second went into center field and scored on a single by Izzy Brunner.
McDaniel, Hauser’s ace, relieved Hartwell in the fourth and pitched two perfect innings before running into trouble in the sixth.
“We have Edinburgh (Wednesday) night and North Decatur Thursday and North Decatur Friday, so we have those (Mid-Hoosier) conference games,” Andy Brunner said. “The other thing about it, too, is we need Haven to get these reps. She needs to get this experience, and she’s capable. When Paige comes on the mound, we’re only down 3-2. (Hartwell) absolutely did her job.”
Robinson threw a six-hitter for the Olympians. She struck out 10 and walked only one.
“We had some clutch things happen,” Brummett said. “Hermione again delivered a great clutch pitching game. Defensively, we were pretty solid, too. I was really pleased top-to-bottom.”
Fish and Ross each finished 3 for 3 to lead East’s nine-hit attack.
“We were putting the ball in play, and you have to do that against a team like Hauser,” Brummett said. “It’s a good program. They do a lot of things right. They’re going to make a lot of noise in 2A. They do a good job, and (Brunner) is a good coach.”
Jordan went 3 for 3 with two RBIs for the Jets. Asher went 2 for 4.
“Tonight is two weeks since we’ve been in a game, so we’re still trying to figure out chemistry with the four girls that we don’t have from last year and our new players and multiple players we have in different roles this year,” Andy Brunner said. “It’s going to take us some time. There’s some growing pains right now.
“I think that there is a very good season still ahead of us,” he added. “I think that we have a very good team. We have to figure out how to be consistent.”
