Jennings County’s Maycie Ward slides into home plate ahead of a tag by Hauser’s Katie Robinson Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
HOPE — Jennings County has plenty of veteran experience, and Hauser is a young team going into the 2026 softball season.
It showed on the softball field Tuesday in the season opener for both teams.
The Panthers pounded out 21 hits, many of them timely hits, to add runs on the board in each inning to come away with a 16-0 five-inning victory over the Jets.
“We didn’t know what to expect,” Jennings coach Bobby Willis said. “We didn’t get to play our scrimmage game last week, so we were kind of coming with a straight-up crew. They missed some spots, and we made them pay a few times when we had those big innings.”
Hauser is a young crew with six freshmen getting varsity experience for the first time.
“There was a lot of jitters. There was a lot of nervousness. It showed in the mental errors. It showed in the bats. But it’s the first varsity game. It’s out of the way,” Hauser coach Andy Brunner said. “At the end of the day, we went to Scottsburg (for a scrimmage) the other night, and we played well against Scottsburg. We come back here, and clearly, we didn’t. You don’t give up. You don’t lay down. You stay on your feet and fight back. We’ve clearly got some things to work through.”
Jennings County’s Riley Byford slides across home plate before a tag by Hauser’s Katie Robinson during a game Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Hauser’s Kinley Krise fires a pitch to the plate during a game against Jennings County Tuesday at Hauser High School. Tommy Walker/For The Republic
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Jennings County’s Maycie Ward slides into home plate ahead of a tag by Hauser’s Katie Robinson Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Hauser’s Kinley Krise fires a pitch to the plate during a game against Jennings County Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Jennings County’s Arian Day fires a pitch to the plate during a game against Hauser Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Jennings County’s Arian Day fires a pitch to the plate during a game against Hauser Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Jennings County’s Emma Clapp smacks a single to left field during a game against Hauser Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Jennings County’s Rylie Byford smacks a double to left field during a game against Hauser at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Jennings County’s Ryleigh Sporleder accepts congratulations from Panthers coach Bobby Willis after hitting a triple during a game against Hauser Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Hauser’s Kinley Krise smacks a single to right field during a game against Jennings County Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Hauser players cheer on the Jets from the dugout during a game against Jennings County Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Jennings County’s Paige Hack throws to first base after fielding a ground ball during a game against Hauser Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Jennings County’s players have a prayer before a game against Hauser Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Hauser players prepare for introductions before a game against Jennings County Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Hauser’s, from left, Karlieanne Brooks, Kinley Krise and Katie Robinson stand ahead of the Jennings County players during the National Anthem before a game Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Jennings County’s Ryleigh Sporleder lays down a bunt of a pitch by Hauser’s Kinley Krise during a game Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Hauser’s Karlieann Brooks chases a fly ball during a game against Hauser Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Hauser coach Andy Brunner chats with his players between innings of a game against Jennings County Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Hauser’s Amy Engle watches her hit to right field drop in for a single during a game against Jennings County Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Hauser’s Cheyanne Moody beats out a throw to first base during a game against Jennings County Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Hauser’s Addy Crowder fires the ball to first base during a game against Jennings County Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Hauser’s Allie Zapfe throws the ball back into the infield during a game against Jennings County Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Two freshman pitchers saw action in the circle for the Jets. Kinley Krise started, and Karlieann Brooks pitched in relief to finish the game.
Arian Day earned the win for the Panthers, going 3.1 innings and allowing three hits and no runs. Audrey McDonald came on in relief and allowed one hit over the final 1.2 innings..
At the plate, Jennings totaled 21 hits. Riley Byford finished 4 for 4 with a double, a triple and two RBIs. Ryleigh Sporleder was 4 for 4 with two triples. Emma Clapp was 3 for 4 with a double. Day finished 2 for 4 with three RBIs, Maycie Ward went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and Marlee Elston finished 2 for 4.
For Hauser, Amy Engle was 1 for 3 with a double. Lexi Hamilton, Cheyanne Moody and Brooks recorded the other hits for the Jets.
“Especially playing a team like that, they have 11 juniors and seniors, and we have six freshmen. I don’t know how much more polar opposite that we could get. The freshman class is a talented class. I’m not taking anything away from them, but that shows the experience,” Brunner said. “We’re going to go through some growing pains because we are going to keep playing teams like that.”
