Kylie Vaseloff, a Decatur Central sophomore, slides home while Mooresville catcher Kendall Lowry tries to field the throw to the plate during Tuesday’s Mid-State Conference game.
By Steve Page Correspondent So much for showdowns. Decatur Central’s softball and baseball teams would prefer to focus on their remaining seasons than remember last week’s ill-fated Mid-State Conference series with Mooresville. The Hawks saw too much of Hogan Denny and his fifth-ranked Pioneer baseball teammates, who posted 19-8 and 12-1 victories. The do-it-all Denny was 5 for 6 at the plate with three home runs and eight RBI’s. The softball Pioneers, ranked seventh, swept their DC counterparts 10-5 and 5-1. “We played respectfully to the Decatur Central name and competed,” Hawk softball coach Don Ivey said. “We have a couple players missing from our lineup, which gave some opportunities for others to step up and they did just that.” DC senior Ella Phillips went 2 for 3 in the opener, with a double and two RBI’s. Sophomore Kylie Vaseloff was 2 for 2 and was also hit by a pitch. Though she surrendered nine hits in seven innings, pitcher Hailey Cruz allowed just four earned runs. The same held true for Vaseloff, who pitched the second game. Only one of the Pioneers’ five runs were earned. Josi Hair pitched a two-hitter for the Pioneers. DC committed seven errors in the two games, prompting Ivey to say, “Game 2 came down to a few errors from our side, and you can never do that against a Mooresville team or they will take advantage.” In the baseball series, Mooresville scored nine runs in its first at-bat in the opener and never looked back. Michael Garrison went 3 for 3 for the Hawks and scored a run in the opener, while Jaylan Yates hit a double and scored a run. In Game 2, junior Garrett Smith had DC’s only hit, a double. Brendin Oliver pitched five innings for the Pioneers, with 9 strikeouts and 3 walks. “Definitely a tough series and not what we were hoping to do,” said DC coach Sean Winkelseth. “Great opportunity for some reflection and growth. “We are a young team currently and we have a lot of learning to do, both about ourselves and about the game. “That will be our message moving forward as we look to compete and grow with each series in our tough conference.” Both teams return to the rigors of the Mid-State Conference when they traveled to Greenwood on Tuesday, then play host to the Woodmen on Wednesday. Decatur Central second baseman Michael Garrison shows the umpire the ball and teammate Triston Fidler backs up the play while the ump makes the out call against the Mooresville base runner during Tuesday’s home game. | Sophomore second baseman Chloe Miller fields an infield popup while Decatur Central shortstop Madisyn Padgett, a freshman, watches durinig the Hawks’ home game with Mooresville. Riley Leverington, a Decatur Central senior, camps out under a fly ball in left field on Tuesday. Logan Markus, a Decatur Central freshman, fires a high, hard one during Tuesday’s game with Mooresville at the Phil Webster Baseball Complex. |