Softball moves to 13-3 on season

By Ryan Saxton
Staff Reporter

	Coastal Point • RUSLANA LAMBERT Katelyn Null winds up on the mound. Null shut out Delmar for five straight innings to give Indian River the win.

A powerful 27-5 win over Smyrna last Thursday showed a confident and dominating Indian River team as catcher Hayley Brennan contributed a pair of three-run homers for the Indians’ victory, as well as scoring two additional runs with a double and a walk. IR pitcher Sarah Tyre rocked a grand slam and batted in five other runs to add to the score. Tyre went to 8-1 on the season with the win.

The confidence may have got to the girls, however, as a deflated Indian River team fell short on Monday, April 30, when they hosted a 9-1 Sussex Tech.

Megan Lathbury soared a homer over the fence in the fourth inning, bringing Tech’s lead to 5-0 against the Indians. An RBI from Brennan and a solo homer from Lizzy Handy were not enough as the hosting Indians gave up their second conference game of the season. Sussex Tech’s sophomore pitcher Brooke Tull threw a two-hitter and recorded seven strikeouts to seal the deal for Lady Ravens with a 13-2 win.

“We were just not mentally prepared,” said Indians’ head coach Mark Browne.

“Indian River is always a really good team,” said Sussex Tech head coach John Marvel. “Historically, they’ve been a competitive team. We take any games — be it Indian River, Sussex Central or Caravel — very seriously. It doesn’t matter who graduates. They’re going to have a good team. We were able to get after them early. We had some clutch hits. Our girls played patiently and took nice swings.”

A shaky Indian River team returned to the field the next day against Delmar with the appearance of another imminent loss.

Shortstop Ali Bloodsworth put up a grand slam, and a two-run homer from right-fielder Brittany Lyons supplied the Delmar Wildcats with an 8-0 lead in the very first inning, casting a dooming shadow over IR.

The Indians kept their heads level and answered back, though, with home runs from Tyre and Handy for a combined five runs and steady hitting from the team. Brennan rounded the bases and stole home to give the Indians a 10-8 lead in the fourth before batting home Abi Buchler in the fifth.

Delmar responded in the top of the seventh, as Gabby Andrade’s double brought catcher Brooke Boothe home, and an RBI from Shannon Wilson’s single closed the score within one.

With two outs and runners on first and second, Indians’ freshman pitcher Katelyn Null kept her composure and secured the game due to an obstruction call from a runner, signaling the final out.

“I just wanted to get the win at the end,” said Null. “I was just focused on getting that last out. I get mad when I pitch, and just try to stay on track.”

The victory came as a relief for Browne. “The girls really did their part out here,” he said. “I wanted to eliminate the mental errors from yesterday, and eliminate the lack of hustle. We just hit the ball really well [against Delmar.]”

He attributed much of the win to the three key performances.

“Shortstop Lindsay McCabe had an outstanding day,” he said, “in the field, at the plate. She hit the ball hard and hit a bunt. She had a terrific day.

“Null came in today and shut them down for five innings. She has been so valuable to us this year. At the beginning of the season when we had no one else, she won some of the games for us. I love her gut check,” he added.

“Our catcher [Brennan] had an incredible performance today, too,” he said. “She had some big hits and really helped keep the team together. Obviously, we had some great hitting as well, with Lizzy and Sarah coming up big with some home runs. Everyone hit really well.”

The Indians traveled to Polytech for a game Thursday, May 3, followed by home games next Tuesday, May 8, against Lake Forest and Thursday, May 10, against Milford.

“We just have to make sure we keep our heads in the game,” said Browne.