After finishing with a 1-25 softball record in 2017, Center Grove asked Columbus North athletics director Jeff Hester if the Bull Dogs would like to opt out of the Center Grove Tournament the next year.
But Ron McDonald, who was in his first year as North coach, knew he had talent coming in, and he knew that talent could compete. The Bull Dogs won their first Conference Indiana title since 2009 and last week, captured their first sectional crown since 2012.
Tuesday night, North will host a regional for the first time in school history when it entertains Class 4A No. 3 Center Grove at 6 p.m. at Southside Elementary.
“They asked if we still wanted to do (the Center Grove Tournament) because we were bad,” McDonald said. “We were not very good. I told Jeff to keep us in it, and look at us now two years later. We’re playing Center Grove for the regional title.”
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Last year, the Bull Dogs improved slightly to 6-15, then began this season 0-4. But since then, they’ve gone 15-4 with five other probable wins rained out. North also was rained out of this year’s Center Grove Tournament.
The Bull Dogs are now 15-8 with eight consecutive wins. Four of those eight have been of the walkoff variety.
“I told the girls two years ago if they bought in and they believed, we’d be right here where we are,” McDonald said. “We’ve learned to win, which is hard to do after the program has been down for several years. I just think that we’re in a good place.”
North pulled out three close wins in last week’s Bloomington South Sectional. In the opening round, the Bull Dogs beat East Central 6-5 on a bases-loaded walk in the seventh.
In Thursday’s semifinals, North battled from behind to beat Bloomington South 8-7 on a two-run single by freshman Emalee Heafner with two out in the seventh. Heafner had a chance to bat only because the Panthers dropped a popup that would have been the third and final out.
That set up Friday’s championship game against Bloomington North and Ball State recruit Deb Jones. The Bull Dogs prevailed 2-0.
“We had a great mindset going in,” McDonald said. “A lot of people were surprised that we were there, and that we were living on borrowed time. I told our girls, ‘We’re not even supposed to be here,’ and we kind of had a miracle the night before, and came out and played loose.”
Freshman Peri Foust, who missed the first few games of the season with an injury, had her best outing of the season. She threw a four-hit shutout and struck out six.
“Peri is getting back at a great time for us,” McDonald said. “She’s about 95 percent there, and she dominated that game.”
North will need to battle against another quality pitcher in Center Grove senior Abby Herbst. The Miss Softball frontrunner and Wisconsin recruit is 17-3 with a 0.46 ERA and 187 strikeouts in 137 innings pitched.
“She’s been a great four-year player for them,” McDonald said. “We’re not familiar with her. In comparison, it really gives us confidence by facing Deb Jones because they clocked her at 63, and we were able to come out and get bats on the ball. A lot of girls were even pulling the ball.”
Herbst also leads the Trojans (24-3) with a .543 average and 36 RBIs and has hit two home runs. Junior Kennedy Bader is batting .493, and senior shortstop Piper Belden is hitting .473.
Center Grove has won five state championships, the past four coming under coach Russ Milligan. Milligan retired after last season and was replaced by Alyssa Coleman.
“Center Grove has had a great program, and we’re trying to get where they are,” McDonald said.
Junior shortstop Sierra Norman leads the Bull Dogs with a .456 average and has six homers and 22 RBIs, while senior catcher Bailey Lofton is batting .420 with team-highs of nine homers and 27 RBIs. Freshman pitcher-outfielder Rachel Cowan is hitting .387 with two homers and 15 RBIs, and sophomore first baseman Meghan Waggoner is batting .373 with four homers and 15 RBIs.
North has been starting five freshmen for most of the season.
“We really feel like we can beat anybody right now,” McDonald said. “I think we have a good shot at Center Grove, and I think a lot of people believe that right now. Obviously, we’ll be the underdogs, but I really believe that we’ll compete.”
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Center Grove at Columbus North in softball regional
When: 6 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Southside Elementary
Admission: $7
Advancement: Winner moves on to Saturday’s Bedford North Lawrence Semistate
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