Lady Indians crowned Sectional 60 champs
MILAN SOFTBALL
The Milan Lady Indians are Class A Sectional 60 champions with a 7-2 win over Hauser. Milan plays Tri tonight for a regional championship and is looking for the program’s first since 2018.
When it comes to the world of small school softball in Southeastern Indiana, it’s been a realm owned by both Rising Sun and Hauser. But such dominance was erased by a program waiting in the wings on Thursday night as Milan defeated Hauser 7-2 to win the Class A Sectional 60 Championship.
Milan, who also upset Rising Sun in the semifinals last Tuesday, is a sectional champion for the first time since a title in 2018. The Lady Indians won Class 2A crowns four times during the span of 2009 to 2018 and that also included regional championships in 2015 and 2018.
Hauser (14-7) never even had a chance on Thursday as Milan from the get-go played the dominant role. A fielding error by the Lady Jets allowed the black and gold to plate their first run in the first inning and Kynadee Bode’s two-run blast paced a three-run bottom of the third. The Lady Indians added two more runs a frame later and a final run in the fifth inning.
The Lady Jets managed just a run apiece in the fourth and sixth innings but neither never made a dent as Milan never lost control en route to a championship.
Bode, Emma Voss, Nevaeh Carpenter and Mallory Eaglin each had two hits for the Lady Indians with Voss’s double adding to Bode’s early game home run. Bode totaled three RBI and two runs, Carpenter scored twice and drove in a run and Voss scored a run. Kayleigh McIntosh added a base hit and run and Caroline McMillan was credited with two RBI.
Haylin Campbell doubled and drove in a run for Hauser and Lexie Hamilton picked up a hit and run scored but it was the only damage done against another stout pitching performance from Bode who went 3-0 inside the circle for the tournament. The Milan junior allowed only the two runs -one earned- on two hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
Haven Hartwell was the losing pitcher despite throwing all six innings for the Lady Jets. Hartwell gave up seven runs -four earned- on nine hits with a pair of strikeouts and a walk.
Milan (25-9) heads north to Straughn tonight and will face Class A No. 8 Tri (21-5) in the one-game Class A Regional Championship. Tri defeated South Decatur last week by a 7-5 final score in the Sectional 59 Championship.
