McCutcheon, Harrison rubber match for sectional championship

WEST LAFAYETTE − Jadyn Ramer stood at the plate confident.

Two innings earlier, the Harrison junior laced an absolute rocket that was snagged by the shortstop, symbolizing how frustrating a night it had been for the Raiders offensively to that point.

Inning after inning, Harrison's offense would provide a screaming line drive that looked like would be the turning point of Tuesday's sectional semifinal against Logansport. Every time, those bullets were finding Logansport defenders like magnets.

Just once, Ramer thought to herself, one needs to fall.

Actually twice, including Emmy Layton's grounder in the sixth inning that ricocheted off the third base bag and into left field, allowing Ashley Dunk to score and tie the game.

That set up Ramer's heroics and for all the line drives that went for outs, Ramer's walk-off single was faintly hit up the middle and died near second base, but it was enough to bring home Chelsea Parker in the bottom of the seventh, sending last year's Class 4A runner-up into the sectional championship with a 3-2 victory.

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"They'd been making good plays all game and taking our hits away, so anything, even a little bloop, that goes for a hit," Ramer said. "My mentality was just get ahead and put it in play and at least move my runners."

Overlooked in the way the game played out, but perhaps the moment that saved Harrison's season came in the top of the fifth with Logansport leading 2-1.

This time it was the Berries who hit a shot into the outfield, doing so with no outs and runners on second and third. Kylie Dugan made a diving catch on a ball that seemed headed for extra bases. Without hesitation, Dugan popped up and doubled the runner off third base. Logansport would fail to score.

"Our defense all year has been phenomenal for us," Harrison coach Kelsi Clark said. "Our pitching staff is built to pitch to contact. We got a bunch of strikeouts early in the game, but then they made adjustments and started putting the ball in play and we've got to make plays and not put pressure on our pitchers to have to strike everybody out because that's not realistic for us.

"That was a phenomenal play by her and heads up to get up and throw the runner out. That's deflating for the opposing team when you have two runners in scoring position and no outs and then you end up with two outs and a runner at second and don't score a run."

McCutcheon got a postseason hero of its own to advance to the sectional final in senior leadoff hitter Maggie Robbins.

By the time Robbins came to the plate Tuesday night, her team was trailing 3-0 thanks to Jayden Martinez's big first-inning hit and a couple of McCutcheon miscues spotting Lafayette Jeff three runs.

Robbins calmly delivered a leadoff single, jumpstarting the Mavericks to a five-run first thanks to RBIs from Haylee Smith, Kaidynn Peckinpaugh, Jacquelin All and Aubrey Miller.

Robbins led off the second with a solo home run, then added RBI singles in the third and sixth innings of McCutcheon's 12-5 victory.

"They came up quick on us, but the energy in the dugout brought us alive," Robbins said. "My teammates brought me a lot of energy and it brings us all together, gives me energy to go up to the plate and get big hits."

It sets up a 2023 rubber match for a sectional title after McCutcheon won the regular-season conference matchup against Harrison only to have the Raiders avenge it with a victory in the North Central Conference championship game.

"There's a lot of excitement," McCutcheon coach Kelsey Wides said. "I thought we played a great game that first game, then, you know, errors and some things piled up and snowballed that second game with them. I don't think it was a true showing of who we are. We get a tie breaker here and see who gets it done."

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: McCutcheon, Harrison rubber match for sectional championship