Katie Schneider
LIBERTY, Ind. – Northeastern’s softball team reached Wednesday’s Class 2A sectional championship with a 6-0 victory over Hagerstown at Union County on Tuesday.
After opening with a 10-0 win against the host Patriots on Monday, it was the second straight tournament win for the Knights (20-5), who will face Knightstown (15-8) for the title.
“There was a little bit of a let down from our girls, which is some times understandable,” Northeastern Head Coach Mike Smith said.
The Panthers advanced with a 21-4 victory over Winchester.
“We know we’ve got a battle,” Smith said.
Northeastern also had a battle on Tuesday against the Tigers.
Sierra Gilmore
The game was scoreless until the fourth inning when the Knights scored on a RBI single by Mikayla Hornung.
The pivotal moment came one inning later when the Knights scored three runs on an error.
“We put the bat on the ball well,” Smith said. “Hagerstown made some great defensive plays, but usually good things happen put the ball in play.”
Sierra Gilmore, who led the Knights with three hits, added her 15th homer of the season in the sixth for the Knights. Katie Schneider also hit a blast in the seventh for the final run of the contest.
“My kids played great,” Hagerstown Head Coach Kelsi Stotler said. “They gave it their all.”
“We had one mistake and they scored on it, but I was proud of how they got out of that inning,” Stotler continued. “The girls stepped up a took the challenge and played the best they could.”
Lacee Dale had the only hit for the Tigers (5-16).
“Katie did an outstanding job on the mound,” Smith said of his hurler. “Anytime you limit a team to no runs, you usually find a way to win that game.”