Homestead slays Jay

FORT WAYNE - The Patriots came a long way in May.

But despite their vast improvement in the second month of the season, they weren't able to extend their campaign into June. Homestead was just too strong.

The host Spartans racked up seven runs in the fourth inning Friday to defeat Jay County for the third straight season in the championship game of the Class 4A Sectional 6 softball tournament.

JCHS also lost 10-0 in five innings to the Spartans in last year's sectional title game, and 2-1 in nine innings in the 2008 championship. They advance to play in a one-game regional Tuesday (June 1) at DeKalb, which won its sectional title 9-0 over Snider.

"Homestead is an excellent hitting team, a very good team," said Patriot coach Doug Arbuckle. "When you get down on them, it's really tough to come back. You've got to play some of your best ball. We just didn't have our 'A' game tonight."

Still, the Jay County can be proud of the comeback it turned in during the second half of the season. It had just three wins - two of which came in blowouts over Muncie Southside - in the first 14 games of the year, but rallied to win seven out of nine before falling to the Spartans.

"I just can't say enough about the way these girls came back," said Arbuckle. "At the start of the season we were down and got off to such a bad start, but they just kind of had a change of attitude around the first of May. And then it just kept going and kept going ... I'm just real proud of their effort the way they turned it around."

The Patriots (10-14) even had a brief lead on Homestead (20-9) scoring in the top of the first inning on singles by Lexie Gierhart, Selena McKibben and Kendra Younger. However, mistakes hurt their cause in the bottom of the frame.

A walk, a fielder's choice and an error loaded the bases for Samantha Harless.

She responded by kicking off a mammoth day at the plate with an RBI double off the fence in left-center field.

The Spartans scored three runs in the inning, and never trailed again.

"I thought in the first inning we got off to a good start, hit the ball and scored a run," said Homestead coach Tom Clagg. "I thought we were right in it and ready to play, and then the tables turned there quick. They came back and scored three and got us down. The air just kind of went out of us.

"They got that big hit when the opportunity was there with runners on base. That's what good teams are going to do. They're going to take advantage of the mistakes you make and put runs on the board."

Homestead added three more runs in the third, with Lauren Olson opening the inning with a double. Samantha Aguilar added a single, and then Harless belted a triple to right field.

The game got away from Jay County in the fourth, when the Spartans racked up seven runs on just two hits - doubles by Harless and Emma Dafforn. They also got help in the form of three walks and a Patriot error.

Harless finished 3-for-3 with four RBIs and a pair of runs. Olson scored three times and drove in a run, and Dafforn added a couple of RBIs.

"She ripped the ball three times in a row with people on base," said Clagg of his senior right fielder. "But they all did, up-and-down the lineup. ...

"Basically that's our modus operandi. We try to hold them down as best we can, and hope we can hit the ball. In this tournament, at least, we did. I'm real proud of them. We did a nice job."

Tori Strelec earned the win for the Spartans, giving up the lone run on five hits in four innings. After picking up three hits in the first inning and adding singles by Taylor Franklin in the second and Danielle Wellman in the third, the final eight Patriots went down in order.

Rachelle Jackson suffered the defeat, allowing seven runs - six earned - on five hits and three walks in three-plus innings.[[In-content Ad]]