Kelsey Lovelace
It only took one insurance run to end Columbus North’s softball season.
East Central picked up a huge run in the top of the fifth inning, and that was enough after a Bull Dogs’ rally in the seventh came up a little short, leaving them with a 2-1 loss in the semifinals of the Class 4A Columbus East Sectional Tuesday night.
The Trojans move on to face Whiteland, which won 6-3 over Franklin in the other semifinal contest, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
The loss marked the end of the high school for North’s lone senior, Kelsey Lovelace. She’s the first player in the program to complete all four years post-COVID. She was the last to head back to the dugout after embracing coach TJ Jarvis.
“I’m so proud of these girls. They made my senior season awesome,” an emotional Lovelace said. “All I asked them to do was give it their all this last game, and they did, so I can’t really be upset at any of them.”
Lovelace isn’t done with softball completely as she’s committed to play at Calumet College of St. Joseph at next year.
“She bought in to what we were doing. Not only did she buy in, she lifted every one of those girls with her,” Jarvis said. “I’m going to miss her. I love her like she’s one of my own. That’s how important she’s been to me this year. She’s such a great player.”
The Bull Dogs (13-12) had a great opportunity to tie the score or win in the bottom of the seventh, and almost did. Summer Williams hit a one-out double to the left-field corner and then scored when Avery Shehan smacked a double. The Trojans then retired the next two batters to seal the win.
It’s a heartbreaker for North after defeating two-time defending sectional champion Shelbyville on Monday.
“I felt like that they played 14 innings as hard as they could. We just didn’t get anything to fall tonight,” Jarvis said. “That’s the game. That’s the beauty of the game. (Monday), we got hits when it counted, and tonight, we didn’t. That’s the beauty of the game.”
East Central got the first run when Lexi Hatmaker singled, and after an error put runners on second and third, Ella Bruss hit a sacrifice fly to right.
The Trojans scored their second run in the top of the fifth when Emily Klem hit a two-out single and later scored on an Annebelle Black single.
Shehan finished 2 for 3 with a double for North. Williams went 1 for 2 with a double, Payton Morris was 1 for 3, Miley McClellan was 1 for 3 and Lovelace finished 1 for 3 with a double.
Bailee Scruggs went the distance for the Bull Dogs, allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits with two strikeouts in the loss.
