Northeastern softball gets to 5-0, more last week in Wayne County girls sports

RICHMOND, Ind.— No Wayne County team, boys or girls, can say they made it to 5-0 to start this spring season except Northeastern softball. The Knights did lose their next two games after winning their first five, but they did get to 5-0. Here's how:

Northeastern won its first game of last week 6-5 over Delta April 12 to get to 3-0.

Clare Lopeman pitched all seven innings and struck out six while only allowing three earned runs. Lexi Russell had a trio of both hits and RBIs. Lilly Null and Saige Saunders each had two hits.

Another win came April 14, 11-5 over Tri, to get to 4-0.

Lopeman had three hits at the plate and pitched three scoreless innings while recording seven strikeouts. Emma Neely and Kate Benjamin also had three hits, and Neely added a couple of RBIs. Russell and Baylee Wissler each added two hits.

Northeastern nabbed one more win April 15 with an 8-5 performance against Knightstown to get to 5-0.

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Lopeman had four hits and two RBIs at the plate and pitched four innings with eight strikeouts. Kamryn McFarland pitched the other three innings and only allowed one run, and she added two hits of her own at the plate. Null had three hits and two RBIs, and Nevaeh Chapman added two hits.

April 16 was when the Knights finally lost a game, and they lost two at that. Russell, Null, McFarland and Adison Bry each had two hits in an 8-3 loss to Rising Sun. They followed that with a 14-13 loss to Batesville. Chapman had four hits. Null and Russell each had three hits while Null added two RBIs. Neely, Saunders and Wissler each had two hits, and Neely added five RBIs.

Northeastern is 5-2, and it plays Union County April 20 on the road before taking on Franklin County April 22 at home.

Here's how the rest of Wayne County girls high school sports teams fared April 12-16:

Softball

Three area teams compete at Richmond Invitational

Richmond, Centerville and Hagerstown each played at the home of the Red Devils April 16, and it was the Tigers who made it to the championship game. Hagerstown beat Richmond in the first round 6-3 behind a complete-game pitching performance from Tori Kelley. She also had two hits at the plate. Rylan Young had four hits, Emma Jarrett had two hits and two RBIs and Hannah Pyle had two RBIs.

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The Tigers went on to lose to Jay County 9-0 in the final game. Hayley Harris was a bright spot, as she had two hits.

Before that tournament, Hagerstown defeated Union City 4-1 April 12. Again, Kelley had the complete-game win. She recorded eight strikeouts in the circle and picked up one of only two Tiger hits at the plate. Marissa Slagle had the other, and she also drove in two runs.

Hagerstown hosted Wes-Del April 20 before playing April 23 in the Wayne County Tournament.

In Richmond’s first-round loss to Hagerstown, Dajsha Burgess and Amareea Hunter each had two hits. Kamdyn DePew struck out four Tigers and held them scoreless through 2.2 innings.

The Red Devils then beat Centerville 17-15 in a slugfest of a consolation game. Hunter and Madison Owens each had a pair of hits, and they combined to drive in seven runs. Macie Ferguson had two hits, two RBIs and three stolen bases, and she also struck out six batters in 4.2 innings pitched.

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Prior to the tournament, Richmond lost to Connersville 14-1 April 14. The Red Devils play April 20 at Winchester before playing Lincoln April 21 at home.

Centerville’s first game of the tournament ended in a 14-2 loss to Jay County. Morgan Clark and Drew Tubesing brought home the Bulldogs’ two runs.

In the high-scoring consolation game with Richmond, Harmony Owens had four hits and held the Red Devils scoreless in her only inning in the circle. Haylee Parker and Clark each had three hits, and they combined for seven RBIs. Shaellyn Sherer, Aubrey Alexander, Jocie Collins and Lilly Day each had two hits. Sherer had three RBIs, and Alexander had two.

Before the tournament, Centerville lost to Franklin County 22-3 April 12. Collins led the offense with a pair of RBIs. The Bulldogs play April 20 at Daleville before taking on Union City April 21 at home.

Lincoln gets two wins in vastly different fashions

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The Golden Eagles won their first game of the year with a 34-0 blowout against Blue River Valley April 12. Paige Lunsford and Alivia Anderson combined to strike out 10 batters and only allow one hit. Lunsford added two hits at the plate, and Anderson had six RBIs. Kaylee Gabbard was unstoppable offensively, as she had four hits and drove in five runs. Mallory Burns and Sommer Taylor each had two hits and two RBIs. Abbey Weaver had the exclamation point of the day with a home run to go along with her five RBIs.

Lincoln followed up its first win with another April 14, 6-5 over Knightstown. Maddie Bogue pitched a complete game while striking out 11. Gabbard was at it again with four hits and two RBIs. Burns had two hits, and Lunsford had two RBIs.

The Golden Eagles ended the week with an 8-4 loss to Shenandoah April 16. Gabbard, Burns and S. Bell each had two hits. Gabbard and Burns also had a pair of RBIs.

Lincoln’s next game was set for April 21 at Richmond.

Track and field

Seton girls win in Indianapolis

The Cardinals traveled to the state capital April 12 to square off with four other schools, and the girls came away with first place.

Lydia Reichley won the 100-meter hurdles and the high jump and finished second in the 300 hurdles. Bella Cornell won the 100-meter dash. Gywnie Falcone won the 1,600 and was second in the 800. Kara Berger won the shot put and was second in the discus. Bryn Vanvleet finished second in the 100 hurdles and high jump and was third in the 300 hurdles. Ella Berger was second in the 400 with Jackie Clemente right behind in third. Josey Meeks was third in the discus. The girls won two relays: the 4x400 of Cornell, Ella Berger, Falcone and Reichley and the 4x800 of Hamilton, Clemente, Brim and Knight. The 4x100 team of both Bergers, Vanvleet and Cornell finished second.

Seton’s next meet is April 23 at the Guerin Catholic Invitational.

Northeastern takes second at Eastbrook Invite

The girls came just short of the overall win, but they did have a few event wins April 15 at Eastbrook. Marissa Cates won the 1,600 (5:55.9) and 3,200 (11:58.7). Naleya Kinney won the high jump (4-10) and the long jump (14-2 1/2).

Next up for Northeastern will be an April 21 meet at Hagerstown.

Richmond finishes seventh at Marion Relays

The Red Devils walked away in seventh place out of nine schools April 16. The girls had three runner-up finishes in individual events: Jayci Allen in the high jump, Keena Barker in the 1,600 and Savanna Blair in the 3,200. Aubrey Uhte placed fourth in the pole vault. The distance medley team of Blair, Claire Reising, Barker and Lizzy Graham placed third (13:53.69). The 4x800 team of Lydia Casiano, Reising, Katy Peacock and Alex Parker placed fifth (11:20.22).

Richmond’s next meet is April 23 at Eaton.

Lincoln performs well against Tri

The results of the Golden Eagles' meet with Tri April 12 were so close that a result couldn’t be determined right away.

Bailey Puckett won the 400, 800, 1,600 and 3,200. Morgan Gambill won the 100 and was second in the 200. Aubrey Trent won the shot put, finished second in the discus and was third in the 200. Shayna Morris won the discus. Elliott Jones was second in the 1,600 and third in the discus. Ellie Metler was second in the shot put. Delilah Rains was third in the 100.

Lincoln also competed in the Randolph Southern Invitational April 16 and placed seventh with 11 points.

The Golden Eagles’ next meet is April 21 hosting Anderson Prep.

Centerville competes at Eaton

The Bulldog girls placed sixth at Eaton April 12 with 53 points before winning their own meet with Connersville and Union County April 14 with 73 points. In Thursday’s meet, Reece won the shot put and discus, Wolfal won the 1,600, Carter won the 300 hurdles and Scales won the 3,200. Two relays also won: the 4x800 team of Scales, Shipman, Lickfelt and Morgan and the 4x100 team of Ballenger, Carter, Swartz and B. Jordan.

After an April 20 meet hosting Tri, Centerville planne travel to Winchester April 21.

Girls tennis

Centerville, Richmond compete at Mt. Vernon Invite

The Bulldogs took fourth place April 16 at Mt. Vernon, beating Richmond 4-1 and losing 1-4 to both Marion and Northwestern.

The Red Devils placed fifth. Along with their loss to Centerville, they lost to Marion 5-0 and beat Danville 5-0. Maggie Blair, Aeryn Morris and Isabel Torres-Mejia each went 1-2 as singles. Brooklyn Harris and Paighton Morkin went 2-1 as a doubles team while Sam Langner and Krisha Patel were 1-2.

Prior to the invite, Centerville had 5-0 wins over Seton April 12 and Knightstown April 14. Gracie Helms, Gabby Duke and Lizzie Parker had singles wins in both matches. Emma Cooper and Ava McCurdy had doubles wins in both. Ashtyn Allen and Kylar Marshall got a doubles win in the Knightstown match.

Richmond beat Arsenal Tech 5-0 April 15. All three singles won their matches 6-0, 6-0, and the doubles matches were won by default.

The Bulldogs have a match April 20 hosting Franklin County before traveling to Hagerstown April 21. The Red Devils play Anderson April 20 at home before hosting the Richmond Invitational April 23.

Lincoln rolls off a trio of wins

The Golden Eagles couldn’t be stopped last week. They beat Union City 3-2 April 12, Winchester 4-1 April 14 and Northeastern 3-2 April 15.

Emily Cox went 3-0 in singles matches throughout the week. Both doubles teams — the first of Mia Cupp and Olivia Spurgin and the second of Emily Merida and Betsy Richards — also went 3-0. Bethany Castle got a singles win against Winchester.

After an April 20 match at Muncie Central, Lincoln will host Connersville April 21.

Northeastern splits week; Hagerstown takes two wins

The Knights got their week started with a 5-0 win over Union County. Lauren Lacey, Anna Drake and Grace Todd all won their singles matches. The doubles teams of Chloe Cook and Claire Coddington and Lainey Moore and Ella Coddington were also victorious.

Northeastern then fell 3-2 to Lincoln. Drake and Todd picked up the team’s two points in that match. The Knights’ next match is April 21 at Randolph Southern.

Hagerstown picked up a pair of wins last week. First was a 4-1 win over Tri April 12. Next was a 5-0 win over Knightstown April 15. The Tigers will be back in action April 21 hosting Centerville.

Zach Piatt reports on sports and education for The Palladium-Item. Contact him at zpiatt@gannett.com or on Twitter @zachpiatt13.

This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Northeastern softball gets to 5-0, more in Wayne County girls sports