ELLETTSVILLE — Edgewood’s softball team knows it’s post-season path after the sectional draws were released over the weekend.
What the Class 3A No. 7 Mustangs are looking for this week is to see where they stack up with a couple of the other top competitors for a sectional title at the end of this month.
The scouting trip started with a home game on Monday, May 4, vs. No. 9 Cascade, which went from a comfortable win for the Cadets to a nail-biter in nothing flat. Edgewood nearly pulled off a stunning rally in the last two innings, but left the tying and winning runs on the bases in a 5-4 loss.
“They’re good, and I’d like to think we’re pretty good,” Edgewood coach Mick Hammett said. “They took care of opportunities to score one more run on us. They took advantage of everything they had and had big hits when they had runners in scoring position.
“The one inning we loaded them up there and got weak fly balls to the right side there. We needed a line drive to get through, and we didn’t.”
Up next this week is Western Indiana Conference foe Northview (9-4, 2-0).
“Definitely important,” Edgewood shortstop Madi Bland said. “We’ve got to see what they have. Northview is going to be a big one for conference and sectionals. So just bringing our best this week.”
The four late runs didn’t add up to a win, but could be an important confidence builder for a possible rematch, which could only happen in the sectional final. Edgewood (14-3) out-hit Cascade, 12-7.
“It’s definitely a competitive game,” Madi Bland said. “I feel like if we play 10 games, it goes 5-5. Both great teams, both great pitchers. We just get a couple more hits, and we’re right there.”
Cadets just one better
It all came down to making the most of every opportunity.
The Cadets did just that, scoring twice in the fourth and had five hits and three runs in the top of the fifth to go up 5-0. Edgewood pitcher Ally Bland struck out six, but also walked a batter and hit another in the fifth, and both scored.
Meanwhile, Edgewood missed out on a big chance in the fourth against Caitlin Gryszowka that would come back to haunt them. Two singles and an intentional walk of Ella Sproul paid off when the next three batters popped out to second, first, and right.
“I don’t think we had a strikeout,” Hammett said. “I think we did get the bat on the ball, but hopefully in the future we’ll make better contact earlier.”
Edgewood broke through in the sixth after back-to-back doubles by Madi Bland and Ella Sproul to start the inning, making it 5-1. Jayden Stephens followed with a single that scored Sproul.
“We had smarter at-bats, I think,” Madi Bland said of the later success. “We had the meat of our lineup up, and we picked up on her throwing good early and coming with her junk later once you’re down, so just attack early and get on top of the ball.”
But that rally quickly died with three flyouts.
Another potential big inning suffered a blow in the seventh. No. 9 hitter Lindzey Rains and Ally Bland both singled, but Addison Yearby lined hard to short, resulting in a double play.
Undeterred, Madi Bland slugged a two-run homer to left, leaving another big ‘what-if’ in the air. Sproul and Stephens singled to keep the inning alive, but a liner to second ended it.
“It shows we just don’t lay down if we get down,” Madi Bland said. “We just keep punching back. No game is out of reach for us.”
“It was a good game,” Hammett said. “Give our kids credit, they didn’t give up. It went down to the end there. A decent hit ball. If it had gotten through, I was sending her no matter what from second.”
Pitching choices
When it comes to pitching, Edgewood’s top opponents know what they are getting in three-year starter Ally Bland (12-3, 0.88), who has 153 strikeouts in 96 innings.
On the other hand, Northview hasn’t shown Edgewood its best pitcher the past few years, and indeed has instead tossed a freshman and a sophomore instead of Maggie Krause (7-2, 1.29) in a 16-2 loss to the Cadets on April 13.
The Knights will play at Sullivan (11-5, 3-0) on Tuesday, May 5, before taking on Edgewood.
Cascade, on the other hand, has true choices moving forward.
Statistically, Gryszowka hits over .400 but is the Cadets’ No. 3 pitcher (4.28 ERA in 18 innings) and the starter in their only loss. Which leaves Lacie Godby (2.67 ERA, 41 strikeouts to just two walks over 42 innings) and Grace Parks (1.17, 45 strikeouts over 36 innings) in their back pocket.
That pitching depth is why the Cadets are dangerous defending sectional champs despite the graduation of ace Grace Gray, now at Ball State.
“We’ve just got to figure things out quicker,” Hammett said. “That’s what we’ll have to do on Wednesday.”
Edgewood bats piling up big numbers
Edgewood is hitting .342 as a team, with six starters at .364 or better.
The top five in Edgewood’s order had 11 of the 12 hits vs. Cascade. Madi Bland was 3-for-4 while Ally Bland, Addison Yearby, and Jayden Stephens were all 2-for-4. Sproul was 2-for-3 out of the clean-up spot and shares the team lead in average (.481) while No. 1 in RBIs with 26.
“I think we have four cleanup hitters in our lineup,” Madi Bland said. “3-4-5-6. Any of us can step up and get a hit, and even in the other parts of the lineup, they’ve been stepping up, too. No out is an easy out for us.”
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Big week for Edgewood softball starts with tough loss to No. 9 Cascade
Reporting by Jim Gordillo, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
