Recapping the past week in area sports
With rainouts, postponements and cancellations all around after a rainy Sunday and Monday, I thought it would be a good time to recap some of last week's events on the area sports scene.
The week started with a visit to Linton's brand new youth baseball and softball complex. The project has been over two years in the making and had its grand opening jamboree Saturday.
The complex is located south of Highway 54 East, behind O'Reilly Auto Parts and across from Humphreys Park.
The 20-acre complex consists of four dual-purpose fields that can be used for baseball and softball, paved walkways, and a new building, 36 feet by 36 feet that houses the concession area, new bathrooms and a mechanical and equipment storage room. The upper level of the building contains press boxes that face towards each of the four fields.
The complex is operating as a joint venture between the Linton girls softball and Linton boys baseball leagues.
Upwards of 30 sponsors have donated money, materials, supplies and labor for the project.
"We want to make special note that we appreciate all the sponsors' help," planner, organizer and coordinator for the complex Kyle Eslinger said.
"We want to make sure we recognize them. When people come out here and see the sponsors' names - we want to make sure people patronize their businesses so we can get more money flowing and take care of the ones who have helped us."
Next up was the Linton-Stockton at Bloomfield softball game Tuesday.
The Lady Miners put two runs on the board with two-out rallies in the first and fourth innings and held on to defeat the Lady Cardinals 6-3.
The game featured nine extra-base hits - five by the Lady Miners and four by the Lady Cards, diving plays in the outfield by both teams, two home runs and a mother-daughter matchup of coaches.
Linton-Stockton's Brei Followell pitched a solid game for Linton-Stockton and aided her own cause, with a solo home run to left field leading off the seventh inning.
Bloomfield's Michelle Myers had delivered a two-run shot of her own, over the fence in right-center field the previous inning.
"As soon as she hit it everybody knew it was gone. She just absolutely smoked the ball," Lady Cards' coach Nicole Fougerousse said.
An opposite field homer - now that's some power!
As Nicole Fougerousse said in Bloomfield's season preview, "Michelle Myers can hit for power. When she connects, she connects."
There was nearly a third home run in the game. Lady Miner Maggie Booe drove Bloomfield's Felicity Graf back to the center field fence. Graf reached up and grabbed the ball, robbing Booe of a home run.
The Lady Cards' Kylee Moody tripled to left-center on what looked initially to be a routine base hit. The ball got through the gap and Moody zoomed around the base paths so fast she was standing on third base before I could look up.
Linton-Stockton coach Ruan Fougerousse said afterward, "It was a great game on both sides. I really enjoyed watching it and being a part of it."
Ruan, I couldn't have said it better.
On to track and field, where the White River Valley girls and boys track and field teams both earned two wins at home Thursday.
In the girls meet, the Lady Wolverines had a winning total of 100 points while Bloomfield had 30 and Lighthouse Christian Academy tallied four points.
In the boys competition, WRV edged LCA 55.5 to 45.5. Bloomfield was third with 35 points.
At the meet I spoke with White River Valley basketball center and multi-event track athlete Jon Koenig and learned that Koenig will be attending Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology this coming fall.
Koenig is a good player and had a fine senior season for the Wolverines on the court, improving throughout the season.
He says he will likely not attempt to play basketball at Rose-Hulman, instead focusing on academics.
Congratulations Jon and good luck at Rose!
On the subject of basketball White River Valley senior Allison Wininger and Shakamak senior Sierra Hudson have been chosen to represent the West All Stars in the annual East/West All-Star Classic girls basketball All-Star game Sunday, Apr 26 at Bloomington North High School. The girls All-Star game will tip off at 2:15 p.m.
The Hoosier Basketball Coaches Association serves student-athletes throughout southern Indiana.
The annual All-Star Classic helps to raise funds for the association to provide eight annual scholarships to its member boys and girls basketball players.
There were no area players selected to the boys squad.
On to the baseball diamond, where Linton-Stockton rallied for eight runs in the fourth inning, breaking a 1-all deadlock and carrying the Miners to a 9-1 win over Bloomfield Saturday in a game at Linton-Stockton.
It was another fine pitching performance for Miner hurler Logan Hollingsworth.
The sophomore ace struck out 12 Cardinal hitters and scattered five hits in five innings of work.
Kendall Williams continued to display power at the plate. Williams saw a pitch he liked and drilled a two-run shot over the left-field fence in the middle of the Miners' eight-run rally.
All in all, it was a good week in the wide, wide world of sports.
Terry Schwinghammer is a sports writer for the Greene County Daily World. He can be reached by telephone at (812) 847-4487, ext. 27. He can also be reached via email at tschwing32@yahoo.com.
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