‘All in’: Yorktown softball wins 2nd straight sectional title; Cowan wins 3rd in a row
MUNCIE, Ind. — While instructing its players from the coaching boxes, Yorktown softball's coaching staff can be spotted in matching black T-shirts on game days. The shirts feature a simple message spelled out on the backsides: “All in. All game. All season."
Tigers head coach Jeremy Penrod is an outspoken advocate of instilling that basic principle in his players.
“It’s from the first pitch until the umpire says ‘game over,’” Penrod said. “Everything you’ve got, all day.”
Yorktown (16-8) clearly embraced that motto in their spirited 4-3 win over Mississinewa (14-10) in Saturday’s sectional title game.
The Tigers, ranked No. 10 in Class 3A, entered the championship with high spirits after a 21-0 win over Centerville in the semifinal round, but their confidence took a major blow early in the clash for the sectional trophy.
With runners on first and second base in the top of the first inning, Mississinewa freshman Lilah Greer smacked a three-run home run over the fence in left-center field.
The roundtripper was later paired with a three-up-three-down sweep of Yorktown’s first three batters in the bottom half of the inning.
The Indians led 3-0, their dugout and boisterous fans along the third baseline were infused with energy and, seemingly, all momentum belonged to Yorktown’s opponents early in the game.
However, the Tigers proved to be unshaken by Mississinewa’s opening firepower. They dug in, and mounted a comeback led by junior ace Caitlin LaFerney, who was coming off a perfect game in her team’s five-inning run rule win in the previous round.
With a fresh mindset, the Yale commit bounced back from a rocky first frame by retiring batters in the second inning with ease.
“I really think (in) the first inning my nerves were just kind of getting to me, and I was just thinking about too many things at once,” LaFerney said. “And then after that, I gave up that bomb. I kind of just started focusing on one pitch at a time and really just trying to think corners, spin the ball, and do what I could to get outs.”
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LaFerney would go on to put in a complete seven-inning effort, tally 13 strikeouts and six scoreless innings after the three-run first frame.
“She's got a lot of heart and even if she gets a little rattled early on, she'll find a groove,” Penrod said. “As you saw there, she found a groove ... and she looked like a completely different kid.”
As the tide turned from LaFerney’s dominance in the top of the inning, the Tigers' offensive attack went into full force in the bottom of the second.
Using a patient approach at the plate, Yorktown stacked the base paths with runners after walks and hard-hit singles.
The Tigers’ focused mindset in the batter's box paid off as RBI from LaFerney and freshman Emma Reynolds cut the Indians’ lead to just one run, bringing the score to 3-2.
“We punched back in the second,” Penrod said. “Again ‘All in. All game. All season.’ It’s until the umpire says ‘game over.’”
Yorktown’s offensive production did not relent in the third inning as it gained the lead for the first time of the afternoon with an electrifying two-run double from senior Jenna Sylvester.
“I saw people on base and I was like ‘OK, well, I gotta capitalize since we haven't gotten people on base,’” Sylvester said. “And then I hit it, and I was like ‘Yes, now we got some momentum,’ and then things just started going good for us as a team.”
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Up 4-3 heading into the fourth frame, the Tigers strode onto the field with a renewed focus and determination, which was especially evident in the field.
A number of plays behind the dominant LaFerney in the circle ensured Yorktown’s victory when both teams began to struggle at the plate. Among the defensive efforts was a pivotal play in the third inning from Tigers right fielder Ava Aul, whose quick throw to home plate after a Missininewa hit to the outfield prevented any runs from crossing.
The Tigers’ heightened defensive focus coincided with LaFerney’s masterclass in the circle, a pair of factors which handed Yorktown its second-consecutive and eighth overall softball sectional title.
Squeaking out a tense one-run game is not a glamorous way to bring home a trophy, but any postseason win is valuable, nonetheless. The majority of Yorktown’s roster has enjoyed a deep postseason run at least once in their careers, so they understand the difficulty in notching each win late in the year.
“We’re just taking it one game at a time, one pitch at a time right now,” LaFerney said. “I think we’re at a really good place right now.”
The Tigers’ Sectional 24 title advances them to Tuesday’s one-game regional against Peru (9-11-1), which will be played on Peru’s home field.
Despite being in just his second season as Yorktown’s head coach, Penrod is a seasoned leader, previously spending time as the Tigers assistant and as a travel softball coach.
Given his coaching experience, which featured a semistate run last season, he can easily identify which qualities separate good teams from great teams that enjoy state tournament success.
Penrod is optimistic about this group’s future due to their ability to battle through injuries and other adversity, their stellar pitching staff headlined by LaFerney and their strong schedule, which featured regular-season matchups against six eventual sectional champions.
“As long as we stay healthy, we feel good about where we're at right now,” Penrod said. “We've been battle tested throughout the year with injuries, with the teams we play.”
He added that his players’ taste of postseason success from their 2022 semistate appearance is fueling their efforts this season.
“And most of these girls on this team (were) on that run,” Penrod said. “They know what it's like, they know what it takes to get there and they want it just as bad as they did (last year).”
Other Sectional Results
The only other area sectional champion came from Sectional 55 hosted by Daleville, where Cowan (21-5) secured its third straight sectional title. The Blackhawks outscored their opponents 30-1 across their three sectional outings and defeated Wes-Del 5-1 in the championship game.
Winning 16 of its last 17 outings, Cowan is one of the hottest teams in Class 1A.
The black and gold will host Regional 28 on Tuesday and take on Tri (15-11), a team which bested the Blackhawks 3-2 in April.
Follow Adam Altobella on Twitter @AltobellaAdam
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Yorktown Cowan IHSAA softball sectional title championship
