Softball sectionals wrap: Cathedral claims title. 'We've been ready for this for a while'

INDIANAPOLIS — For as painful as last year's sectional runner-up finish was, it taught the Cathedral softball team an invaluable lesson.

"(It taught us) not to take a game for granted," junior Purdue commit Anna Moore said, referencing the 9-3 loss to Lawrence North after winning via run-rule during the regular season. "We knew this year they had the ability to beat us, so we took it extra seriously. … We're a lot more mature."

Regionals: Statewide pairings, schedule, scores

More: Free of pressure, expectations, Roncalli softball looking to make a name for itself

This season followed a similar trajectory. Cathedral beat Lawrence North by 10 in the regular season, but when the teams collided in Saturday's Class 4A Sectional 10 final, the Irish left absolutely no room for doubt, rolling to a 24-6 victory and their third sectional championship since 2021 (21st overall).

"This win means a lot," especially after what happened last year, senior Aubrie Wright said. "We've been ready for this for a while."

This year's championship game actually began Friday night, but lightning in the area forced teams to clear the field three pitches in. Following a lengthy delay — the Irish passed the time with karaoke, a truth circle and lots of dancing — the contest was postponed to Saturday morning.

The layover did little to dampen Cathedral's enthusiasm.

After allowing LN to tie the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the first (Sydney Moss hit a bases loaded single, then Anna Mauck scored on a passed ball), the Irish reeled off four runs in the second and five more in the third -- highlighted by an Angie Valentine grand slam — to take control, then blew the game open with a nine-run fourth.

Valentine logged six RBIs and two runs, while Sydney Matthews tallied three hits, four RBIs and five runs. Maddie Liter homered and drove in three runs, Mary Hughes had two hits and Moore (two RBIs, four runs) and Alyssa Fry both collected three hits.

A dozen Irish players had at least one hit by game's end.

"It was a team win," said Hughes, a senior. "Everyone contributed. That's what makes it so special. Every single person on this bench did something for this game, which makes it so much more fun."

Cathedral will host New Palestine in the regional championship game Tuesday.

Royals beat the rain, the Knights: Eastern Hancock 16, Northeastern 0

There were some tense moments late in Friday's Class 2A Sectional 41 championship game. Not because the game was particularly close — Eastern Hancock led 10-0 after three innings — but because the storm front delaying Central Indiana games left-and-right was barreling toward Knightstown.

Fortunately, the teams were able to complete the requisite five innings before any weather shenanigans could occur and Eastern Hancock is moving on to regionals for the fourth time since 2014.

McKenna Stewart and Tatem Adams combined for the five-inning no-hitter in the circle. Stewart, a junior, pitched the first three innings, offsetting three walks with eight strikeouts, then Adams, a senior, closed out the final two with zero walks and four strikeouts.

Emily Hodges led EH at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a homer, four RBIs and three runs. Brooklyn Willis (2-for-4, five RBIs) and Addison Trackwell (2-for-4, two RBIs, two runs) also homered for the Royals, who picked up two hits apiece from Sammie Bolding, Lilli Ringer, Emree Truitt, Alina Alford and Camryn Blue.

Eastern Hancock will travel to Triton Central on Tuesday.

Lawrence North seniors stuck together and put softball program 'on the map'

Kate Dowden and Anna Mauck spoke before the season about the culture shift within the Lawrence North locker room; the chemistry the team had developed over the past three years. The girls were all closer in 2023 and entering 2024 than the previous two seasons, Dowden observed, and that chemistry was critical to their success.

"That's been the main thing," continued Dowden, who missed this season with a knee injury. "We have this mindset, especially for this year, that even if we don't win every game, we're just having fun."

LN coach Matt Marino observed a similar trend. "There's no drama here. (They) accept the younger girls, teach them and make them feel part of the team," he said Saturday. "The seniors built that culture and have kept it where it's at. It's been huge."

Mauck, Dowden, Kacie Kirkpatrick, Ella Hogan, Gabby Peck (she homered in her final high school at bat), Megan Fasbender and Haley Ray led the Wildcats to two sectional championships (including a 22-win campaign in 2023), three MIC titles, Saturday's sectional runner-up finish and a second-place finish at this year's Marion County tournament.

The 2024 Wildcats finished with 16 wins after starting the season 2-7.

"I really enjoyed watching them play and coaching them, and I enjoyed them sticking with me for all four years," Marino said. "A lot of girls will move, but those seniors stuck together and they really put us on the map."

As for the Kentucky-bound Mauck and Northwestern-bound Dowden — both of whom set a number of school records and started varsity since their freshman years — Marino said: "Talk about putting this program on the map, kids want to come here watching those two play."

"It really hurt not having Kate, but it was good for our younger pitchers to get a lot of experience this year," he continued. "I'm looking forward to watching them play in college. I can't wait for that. I'm going to miss them — and all of our seniors."

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA softball: Cathedral, Eastern Hancock roll to sectional final routs