JASPER — Mallory Wollenmann was searching for a pitch inside when stepping to the plate in the fifth inning.
It’s how she had been pitched all game to that point. What occurred next might have been a mistake from the opponent, but it caused the Memorial High School senior’s eyes to widen. A ball right down the middle.
“I just took that thing yard,” Wollenmann said. “Or I tried to.”
The Northern Illinois recruit had to settle for a two-run double. But the moment was a pivotal spark as Memorial defeated Jasper 7-3 to win the IHSAA Class 3A regional championship. It is the first trip to the semistate for the Tigers since 2017.
Memorial (19-7) led by a single run before Wollenmann took a 2-1 pitch to the left-field wall. The Tigers added two more runs later in the fifth inning to put a four-spot on the scoreboard. That was ultimately the difference in this championship.
It also a microcosm of this postseason: Memorial is taking advantage of what is given.
“Not too many opportunities like these come around,” Memorial coach Rick Lutz said. “When you get them, take advantage of them. Everybody is having each other’s backs. The next person followed through and got the hit.”
It should be no surprise the big moment belonged to Wollenmann. As the senior shortstop goes, so does this team.
Wollenmann reached base three times in the regional final and played clean defense. Her value to Memorial goes deeper than the scorebook. Wollenmann is the beating heart of the roster. She is the one to calm the pitcher in between at-bats. She is the one to light a fire in her teammates.
A postseason run typically takes all parts working in unison. You also need your best players rising to the occasion. Lutz praised not only her bat and glove, but the leadership. Wollenmann seems to know to what and when to say the right thing.
“All I control is my game,” she said. “I just try to be that teammate that lifts other teammates up. I can’t play this game by myself. I need to have a whole team behind me. The role I play is cheerleader at some points.”
Jasper (18-11) briefly had the upper-hand when Brianna Barrix sent a laser to centerfield in the first inning. Memorial countered with a pair in the second before taking control with a four-run fifth. Ellie Eden padded the lead with a RBI single in the seventh after the Wildcats got within three.
This was more than enough for Brianna Canaan in the circle. The sophomore continued a strong run with five hits allowed and 13 strikeouts. The Wildcats left four runners in scoring position. The Tigers’ burgeoning ace had much to do with that.
Canaan has given up only six earned runs in four postseason games.
“Her mentality towards the game has really changed,” Lutz said. “Her mechanics are better. She doesn’t get rattled. She stays focused the whole time. She has really matured in the last month.”
Memorial is playing its best at the opportune time. Next will be a return trip to Jasper on Saturday, June 7 for the semistate against Charlestown. The winner faces No. 1 Cathedral or No. 2 New Palestine in the championship that evening.
Who is to say the Tigers won’t continue to make noise in this tournament? They have a confident pitcher. A lineup with the capacity to put big numbers on the board. It only takes one opportunity to make an impact. Memorial is connecting right now.
“We have to come in confident and trust our fundamentals,” Wollenmann said. “Trust our game. When we play Memorial softball, I think we can beat anybody in the state.”
Tecumseh softball continues a historic run with regional title
Few programs in the class era have done what the Braves are currently doing. This is fact.
No. 1 Tecumseh defeated No. 6 West Vigo 4-0 to win the Class 2A regional championship. It is the fourth straight trip to the semistate for the program and first since moving up classes because of the success factor. The Braves are now two wins away from a fourth straight trip to West Lafayette.
Let that sink in. The past three years were already on par with some of the best postseason runs in state history ― only New Palestine (2017-19) has won three consecutive state titles. But a fourth straight trip to the final weekend might be the hallowed ground.
Tecumseh (28-2) did what it does best against West Vigo: strong pitching and timely hitting. Audrey Seiler pitched a three-hit shutout with zero walks and five strikeouts. The Braves only had five hits but made them count. Two runs in the first followed by solo home runs from Avery Long (sixth) and Alena Holder (seventh).
Tecumseh faces Monrovia in the opening game of the Forest Park Semistate Saturday. A win brings either Salem or Triton Central in the final.
Elsewhere around Southwestern Indiana
No. 7 Floyd Central defeated Castle 5-1 in the Class 4A regional. The Knights (15-13) had only three hits with the lone run coming on a groundout by Sadie Winsett. The Highlanders scored all five runs in the third inning of a rematch from last year’s regional.
No. 3 West Washington defeated Wood Memorial 4-0 in the Class 1A regional. The Trojans (15-8) finished with three hits.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Memorial, Tecumseh advance in IHSAA softball state tournament with regional victories
Reporting by Kyle Sokeland, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
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