Revenge complete: Newton's heroics boost Mooresville in sectional battle with Center Grove

Before the season began, Cidney Newton was on the fence about coming back to play for Mooresville's softball squad.

Now she's the hero of the Pioneers' sectional opener with Center Grove.

After starting the day connecting on a hit to send Kendall Grover home in the first inning to put Mooresville up 4-0, the junior rattled off a dagger in the sixth, sending a pitch out of the park to make it 7-1, marking the game's final score.

"It felt so good, I was coming into this game really nervous, thinking I wasn't going to hit that well," Newton said. "And then I just, I hit it. I felt like I didn't even see it. It just felt so good."

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Ball singled out Newton as one of the team's most improved. She's happy the junior decided to stay on the team.

"She continues to amaze me, at the beginning of the season, I had no idea what I was going to get," Ball said. "She crushed it, as soon as she hit it, I was like, 'it's gone.' I'm just so happy for her...She decided to play and I'm so happy she did and I think she's having the time of her life."

What it means

This game has been a year in the making for Mooresville.

The Trojans notably knocked the Pioneers out of last year's tournament, defeating them 5-1 in the sectional championship. Getting to this moment has been something Mooresville has anticipated for a long time.

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Returning the favor in the form of a six-run victory feels sweet.

"It feels so good because last year it was such a big let down to our community when we lost," Newton said. "Coming back beating them 7-1 is just crazy. I just feel like we came out and played really good today."

Key plays

Outside of Newton's home run in the sixth, Mooresville senior Kendall Grover converted on two huge plays while at the plate.

The first inning saw Grover send one to left field, forcing the Trojans to scramble and allow two Pioneers' runners to touch base to make it 3-0.

Then as Center Grove and pitcher Riley Henson started to find a groove, Grover sent a ground ball to the infield, where the Trojans committed an error trying to throw to first base, resulting in her reaching third base and sending Madison Poulson in.

Grover scored on the following at bat, making it 6-1, after Henson threw a wild pitch.

By the numbers

Despite allowing seven runs, Henson had a strong performance, striking out 11 batters and keeping Mooresville star Alex Cooper at bay with no hits, though Cooper did score a run after getting hit by a pitch.

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But even with a high strike count, the way Mooresville battled through was impressive, generating seven hits without being rattled. Plus, the extensive work on the defensive end for the Pioneers is what ultimately made the biggest difference.

"I knew they were going to throw Riley, and I didn't know what to expect because I've never seen her before," Ball said. "I knew she was going to get her strikeouts, she's just that good. But our girls that first inning, they came out and were ready to hit the ball. That inning set the tone for the rest of the game."

Unsung hero

While Newton and Grover deserve plenty of credit for their performance on offense, Zoey Kugelman was right there with them.

The sophomore started the day 2-for-2 at the plate, netting an RBI during the game's second at bat by driving the ball to an empty right field. The play ended in a triple, helping Madison Poulson get on base.

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"They had that shift on Zoey, and Zoey's one that, she hits really early on her swings," Ball said. "So when I saw that shift I was like, 'They're going to be in trouble.' When she cranked that ball towards first base, I was like, 'We're scoring.' I mean there was nobody there."

Kugelman ended the evening going 2-for-4 and added a run along with the RBI.

Looking ahead

Heading into the next matchup with Morgan County rival Martinsville Tuesday, the Pioneers will be looking at a much improved Artesian squad compared to the first two meetings this season.

With the fate of a sectional championship berth on the line, and a victory over a Top 10 team in the Trojans, Mooresville's ready to keep the train rolling, especially against a rival.

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"We've just got to play our game," Ball said. "If we play our game, we'll be okay. We didn't let anything hurt us tonight. That's the way we have to play with them (Martinsville)."

The winner will play either Whiteland or Franklin Wednesday in the sectional championship.

Contact reporter Devin Voss at devin.voss@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter at @DevinVoss23.

This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: Revenge complete: Newton's heroics help Mooresville vs Center Grove