Stay Connected with YourSeason
Hebron hangs on to win dramatic regional
Updated: May 31, 2011 10:37PM
HEBRON — Contrary to what some might think, Hebron coach Mike McLindon wasn’t overly anxious or nervous during the seventh inning of Tuesday’s Class 2A regional game.
It just looked that way.
He paced back and forth in the dugout as his Hawks were on the field, trying to hold onto a one-run lead.
And when his pitcher, Mollie Lindeman, finally struck out Hanover’s Ashley Loy with runners on first and third to end the game, he jumped in exuberation, came out of the dugout and leaned over, putting his hands on his knees as if to show relief.
His team had survived for a 2-1 victory over Porter County Conference rival Hanover Central to earn its first softball regional title.
“I always pace,” McLindon clarified. “It’s so intense, I just can’t sit still.”
To say Tuesday’s game — the third meeting between the teams this season — was intense is an understatement. Once the Hawks (24-5) took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth, it seemed like every inning to follow had drama, culminating in the Wildcats (13-13) coming close to scoring the tying run in the top of the seventh.
It started with the first run of the game when Hebron’s Laura MacNeill led off with a bunt single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Maggie Lindeman and moved to third on a sharply hit single from Carrie Combs. That’s when Hanover coach Larry McMillen changed pitchers — like he did in Saturday’s sectional final — and brought in Ashley Yoways, who gave up a run-scoring bunt single down the first-base line that was meant to be a squeeze play.
Alyssa Spore added a RBI single for an insurance run that proved to be very important.
“We knew they bunted a lot,” McMillen said. “We took some of it away. We kept the first baseman back on that play and (she) didn’t adjust well to it.”
After seeing each other twice before, there are no secrets. McLindon knew that McMillen would know that Hebron bunts quite often.
“That’s why I said (on Saturday) they’re the class of the conference,” McLindon said, complimenting Hanover again. “They know how to play the game.”
That statement especially came to fruition in the top of the fifth when Hanover threatened to tie the game. Ivy Dawson led off with a single and moved to second after Gabby Roggero was hit by a pitch. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch, and Dawson scored on a groundout by Loy.
That brought up Yoways, who hit a fly ball to medium left field. It was caught by Kyle Doelling, who launched a perfect throw to catcher Emily O’Leary who applied a perfect tag to get Roggero, the potential tying run.
That play resulted in the same over-used cliche from both coaches.
“It’s a game of inches,” McMillen said. “It was a great catch, great throw, great play.”
McLindon repeated: “It’s a game of inches. If that ball is off a little, it’s a brand new ball game.”
Same goes for the top of the seventh when Roggero blooped a single in between the pitcher, first baseman and second baseman, but it wasn’t enough to score Blayr Poston from second base. Poston almost got picked off going too far past third before the final strikeout gave Hebron a trip to LaVille for Saturday’s semistate.
© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.
Cell Phone Alerts
Comments Click here to view or make a comment