Bearcats stopped in their tracks
North Butler junior Nicole Heeren takes a cut during Monday’s regional championship game against Clarksville. Heeren’s one-out single in the fourth inning helped lead the way for a 2-run rally, which cut the Indians’ lead in half, but the Bearcats couldn’t get any closer.
Clarksville defeats North Butler, 4-2, in softball regional final
Staff Report
CLARKSVILLE — The moment it seemed that aggressive base running suddenly put North Butler in position to tie the game, Clarksville was able to shoot the threat down while winning the Class 1A-Region 4 championship game, 4-2, Monday and punching its ticket to the Softball State Championships starting next week.
Up by the aforementioned score going into the seventh inning, Clarksville and freshman ace pitcher Kori Wedeking were able to get two quick outs before Bearcat junior Madi Pleas drew a walk.
Serving as a quintessential switch hitter, North Butler state track qualifier Morgan Arjes attempted to lay down a bunt from the right side of the plate before crossing over to the left side to slap a slow-roller in play.
Arjes easily beat the throw for an infield hit, and Pleas — seeing that third base was momentarily vacant of a position player — alertly took the extra base.
But Arjes also attempted to take an extra base which would have placed the tying runs in scoring position, but she was tagged out to end the game.
Top-seed Clarksville took a 2-0 lead in the third inning when a throwing error on Emma Poppe’s bunt resulted in 2 unearned runs against North Butler and its senior ace Taylor Graven, who will continue her softball career at Division 1 Western Kentucky.
After the Indians added 2 more runs to their lead, Alexis Stirling’s two-out, two-strike, two-RBI single to right field cut Clarksville’s lead in half in the fourth inning.
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