TRIPLE CROWN! Pioneer girls win unprecedented 3rd state championship this school year

Jun. 13—GREENWOOD — Historic accomplishments in sports don't come easy.

It didn't go exactly as planned, but the Pioneer softball team outlasted Sullivan 4-2 in the Class 2A state championship game on Saturday at Russ Milligan Field.

The Panthers (35-2) have been in enough championship games to know it's often the team that makes the less mistakes that win the big games. In an epic contest played in a 95-degree heat index, the Panthers overcame a 2-1 deficit with three runs in the top of the sixth inning with the help of three errors by the Golden Arrows (28-5).

The Panthers made history as they're the first school in state history to win state championships in softball, girls basketball and volleyball in the same school year.

It's the Panthers' seventh state title in team sports and first-ever in Class 2A.

"It's very exciting," said star junior shortstop Hailey Cripe. "It's finally time for girls sports to bring history home to Pioneer instead of the football team. So that was kind of exciting. But it's just a great feeling to have all of the community here behind us today. Everyone was into it and it's just a great feeling."

"It's unbelievable," added senior catcher Mackenzie Walker, who once again proved that defense wins championships. "Most importantly you just have to believe in the team. That's the most important part of every single sport. That's what we did at Pioneer. Being a three-time state champ, we just worked hard, we had dedication throughout the whole season and we had the mindset that we wanted to do what we wanted to do. We wanted to win state. We wanted to go out with a bang, and we did.

"Being a three-time state champ in one year is just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us. I couldn't be more proud of the team and the community that comes out and supports us every time."

Walker and Madison Blickenstaff were senior starters on all three state championship teams. They also were starters as freshmen on the 2018 state champion softball team and the 2019 state runner-up.

"I think it all came from when we all played travel softball together from when we were like 10 or something," Blickenstaff said. "It just kept growing. We were all so competitive that we just always wanted to be the best. We just all wanted to beat each other at everything. Because at the time not all of us were playing on the same team, we were all playing against each other. But we still went to the same school. I think that's where the competitiveness came in."

Senior Hailey Gotshall was the winning pitcher in a state championship game for the second time in her career. She was also named the Class 2A Softball Mental Attitude Award Winner.

She had to grind this one out in the heat as she wasn't as sharp as she was last week in firing two shutouts in the same day in the semistate. She allowed two runs on seven hits and four walks, striking out eight in a complete-game effort.

"I definitely had to give everything I had. The heat was a factor but I couldn't let it change my game any," Gotshall said.

Sometimes winning when you don't have your best stuff is even more impressive for a pitcher.

"I wouldn't say it was as good, but I wasn't throwing duds up there," she said.

When asked if Sullivan was the best team the Panthers faced this year, she said, "Definitely, one to nine they had good hitters top to bottom, so I couldn't relax on any of them. I just had to keep my head on each pitch."

The Lady Arrows have no seniors on their roster, so talk of a rematch next year similar to the Pioneer-Loogootee rivalry in girls basketball might commence. Sullivan is right on the Class 2A/3A border with an enrollment of 547 and competes in Class 3A in girls basketball. Pioneer has an enrollment of 288 and is playing up a class due to the IHSAA's success factor.

The Lady Arrows were certainly a formidable opponent, but it was once again the Panthers' time to shine.

The sun was certainly a factor as the sun field in right led to the first run of the game for the Panthers. Mackenzie Robinson lifted a fly ball to right that fell in for a sun-aided hit to lead off the second inning. With two outs, Belle Blickenstaff lifted a fly ball in nearly the same spot, this time it bounced off the right fielder's arms as she clearly couldn't see the ball clearly even after putting on sunglasses as it fell for an error to give the Panthers a gift 1-0 lead.

The Arrows put together an inning in the bottom of the third. A leadoff walk was followed by a two-out double by Gracie Shorter. Delainey Shorter drew a walk to load the bases with two outs. Starting pitcher Kendal Edmondson lined a two-run double down the third-base line to give the Arrows a 2-1 lead.

The Panthers made a couple key defensive plays the next two innings to keep the deficit at one run. They got into some trouble in the fourth when they didn't take the out at first and allowed two runners to reach on bunts. With the bases loaded and one out, Gotshall got leadoff hitter Avery Wiltermood to hit a comebacker. Gotshall threw home to Walker for the first out, who threw to third baseman Blickenstaff for the inning-ending double play. The out at third happened because the runner overslid the bag.

Edmondson hit a two-out single in the fifth. Brooklyn Riley ripped a single to left but Mackenzie Robinson threw a relay to Cripe who threw to Blickenstaff to get Edmondson out at third as a second straight inning ended on an out at third.

The Panthers finally put together a sustained rally in the sixth. Walker, who had two hits in her previous at-bats, was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Blickenstaff followed with a comebacker. The throw went to second but the defender wasn't on the bag as Walker slid in safely for an error. Following a fly out to center, Brooklyn Borges bunted to move the runners up to second and third with two outs. Pioneer coach Gabby Thomas called on junior Emma Novaski to pinch-hit to try to drive in the runs.

Novaski came through, as she hit a 2-1 bouncer to second. The ball was bobbled for an error. It appeared that Novaski was going to beat out the throw, but the ball was thrown away for a second error on the play as both Walker and Blickenstaff scored to give the Panthers a 3-2 lead. Belle Blickenstaff followed with a blast to the fence in left center that fell for an RBI double to make it 4-2.

Novaski talked about her game-winning at-bat.

"Just coming into the game I was upset I wasn't the starting DH and I knew that I just had to stay up in the dugout for my team because I really wanted to win state. When coach Mac said be ready, get your bat, I was just ready to get on deck and just so confident in myself that I was going to get on base and score those runs that we really needed to win state. When Belle came up to bat I was so happy that she scored me in because we really needed that," Novaski said.

"I was a little on the plate. It came right off the end of my bat but more inside of it and the pitch was not inside but a little bit out and I was just really nervous because those are the pitches I struggle on. I think I just had to stay confident up at bat because at the semistate game I just wasn't as confident as I was today going up to bat.

"As I was running I was a little nervous because I saw her bobble it and then as I got on base she threw it and the first baseman didn't get it and I just ran to second as fast as I could to get there because I really needed to advance another base."

The Arrows have been a miraculous comeback team but their miracles ran out against Gotshall and the Panthers. They got a little bit of life when Delainey Shorter drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the seventh. But Gotshall got Edmondson to hit a soft comebacker, and Gotshall threw on to first baseman Borges for the final out as the Panthers celebrated their historic achievement.

Edmondson, a junior right-hander, held the Panthers to four runs (zero earned) on five hits, two walks and two hit batters, striking out two in a complete-game effort.

The Panthers won on a day that Cripe and Gotshall, two of the best hitters in the state, went a combined 1-for-7. Cripe hit a shot up the middle for a base hit in the third. When the throw went behind her at first, she thought she'd take second. That usually might work, but center fielder Gracie Shorter has a gun, and Cripe was thrown out on an 8-3-6 putout for the second out of the inning. Cripe and Gotshall also hit some right-at-'em balls for hard outs as third baseman Delainey Shorter and shortstop Wiltermood had excellent games. Their defense also limited the Panthers' slap hitters as well.

But the Panthers still found a way to win.

"The bottom of the lineup came through," Cripe said. "Emma Novaski came in for a pinch-hit, she came through in a big moment of the game. Belle Blickenstaff came through in a big moment of the game. So credit to the bottom of the lineup for coming through and picking up the top today."

Gotshall held the Arrows at bay.

"I knew she was going to do it," Cripe said. "There's just nothing about her that she's not going to quit no matter what. She's down, she's going to keep fighting until the end, so I knew it was going to happen, I knew she was going to do it for us."

Cripe will likely get the ball next year during tournament time as she might be the best backup pitcher in the state this year. But she said any talk of a repeat three-peat in all three sports might be premature.

"I'm just looking next year for a rebuild in all three sports, just find that team connection with different athletes," she said. "This was a great senior class in all three sports. So I look to get better each day next year in every sport.

"This was a great class, by far the best class that ever went to Pioneer."