By E. Shawn Aylsworth
Managing Editor
Fresh – or not – off their epic late-night, 17-inning semifinal victory over defending Class A state champion No. 3 Whiting, the top-ranked Tecumseh Braves showed some serious resilience the next morning in their 4-1 finals victory over No. 6 Indianapolis Lutheran.
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Showing no effects from its vengeful win in the wee hours at Hamilton Southeastern Friday night (the 17-inning affair broke the old state mark), Tecumseh (29-4-1) jumped on Lutheran for three first-inning runs while senior pitcher Audra Sanders scattered four hits, struck out eight, and walked zero to lead them to their first state championship in any sport less than 12 hours later at Ben Davis.
Sanders (22-4) also went 2 for 3 and doubled in the game’s first two runs in staunchly helping her own cause. Did we mention she was also the school’s valedictorian and the state record holder in career strikeouts with 1,252, including a ridiculous THIRTY-EIGHT (38) Whiting hitters in Friday’s 3-1 victory?
And no, none of that is a typo. Talk about destiny …
Lutheran (20-6) answered with its lone run in the top of the third to make it a 3-1 game, but the Braves bounced back with an insurance marker in the fourth for the final tally. And they did it as a team as five different girls joined the multi-hit Sanders with singles for Tecumseh, which outhit the Saints 7-4.
The Braves tied a record for most hits in a 1A inning with four in the fateful bottom of the first, led off by bunt singles from junior center fielder Teri Newmaster and junior third baseman Ali Nord against Lutheran junior hurler Morgan Lewis (11-4). After a subsequent forceout at the plate, Sanders’ double preceded a run-scoring single by senior first baseman Megan Froman for the initial 3-0 advantaqe.
The Saints put runners on first and second with one out in the top of the second, but Sanders struck out the next two batters to snuff the rally. Lutheran would dent the scoreboard in the third when sophomore center fielder Jensen Pritt singled up the middle, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior shortstop Amanda Korb, and scored on Lewis’ double.
But Tecumseh moved back on top by a field goal on a run-scoring single by freshman catcher Kara Snow.
Lutheran, which had advanced to the finals with a 9-1 Friday win over No. 10 Cowan, was making its fourth appearance in the championship game. The Saints won titles in 2004 (more on that later) and 2007.
But this was the first crown for previously hard-luck Tecumseh, the 1A runner-up the last two seasons as well as in 2003. That trio of second-place finishes for third-year coach Gordon Wood’s Braves included a drawn-out-by-rain loss last year to Whiting.
The Game 2 marathon rematch Friday broke the previous mark of 15 innings that had happened on three occasions – ironically enough, one of them involved first-year Lutheran coach Nikki Wixson. That came in ’04, when Wixson was the Saints’ pitcher in a 2-1 state championship victory over Union (Dugger) 2-1.
Tecumseh’s Sanders named Mental Attitude Award winner
Audra Sanders of Tecumseh was recognized by members of the IHSAA Executive Committee as this year’s recipient of the Mental Attitude Award in Class A softball. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, the corporate partner of the IHSAA, presented a $1,000 scholarship to the school in her name.
Sanders finished as the valedictorian of her senior class and is highly involved in numerous clubs and activities in both her school and community, including National Honor Society, Beta Club, Chemistry Club, and the Tribe & Students Who Care Club. She is also a member of her church youth group.
Athletically, Audra has excelled in softball and has been a tremendous asset to Tecumseh’s softball program. She was All-Conference and All-State for three years in softball and has taken her team to the state finals tournament three years in a row. Sanders also participated in swimming for three years.
In the fall, the daughter of Mike and Barbara Sanders plans to attend Ball State University.
The box score …
Indianapolis Lutheran 1 (20-6)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
Brandi Lawson 1b……… 3 0 0 0 0 2 4 1 0
Jensen Pritt cf………. 2 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0
Chaunsey Bell ph…….. 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Amanda Korb ss……….. 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0
Morgan Lewis p……….. 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 3
Amy Angrick pr………. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Franke Shaffer 2b…….. 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1
Hailey Reed 3b……….. 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
Alexis Davis c……….. 3 0 0 0 0 1 8 1 0
Emily Snow rf………… 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Molly Burke lf……….. 3 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 2
Totals………………. 24 1 4 1 0 8 18 8 6
Tecumseh 4 (29-4-1)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
Teri Newmaster cf…….. 2 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 0
Ali Nord 3b………….. 3 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 0
Julie Roeder ss………. 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Audra Sanders p………. 3 0 2 2 0 1 1 3 0
Alisha Sexson-Lyle pr… 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Chelsie Nuhring lf……. 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
Megan Froman 1b………. 3 0 1 1 0 0 5 2 0
Jaylen Buse pr………. 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kayley Pemberton dh…… 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
Kara Snow c………….. 2 0 1 1 0 1 7 0 0
Emily Tuley rf……….. 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Cherish Lamborn 2b……. 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 1 2
Totals………………. 24 4 7 4 1 7 21 8 3
Score by innings R H E
Indianapolis Lutheran 001 000 0 – 1 4 1
Tecumseh 300 100 X – 4 7 1
E: Reed; Nord. LOB: Lutheran 6; Tecumseh 3. 2B: Lewis; Sanders.
HBP: Korb. SH: Lawson; Korb; Reed. CS: Newmaster.
Indpls. Lutheran IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
Morgan Lewis…….. 6.0 7 4 4 1 7 24 25
Tecumseh IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
Audra Sanders……. 7.0 4 1 1 0 8 24 28
Win: Sanders (22-4). Loss: Lewis (11-4).
HBP: by Sanders (Korb). PB: Davis; Snow.
Umpires: HP Michael Pannell, 1B Lance Grubbs, 3B Robert Orr
Start: 10:30 a.m. Time: 1:35
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