Columbus East celebrates Savanna Sullivan’s two-run home run against Jennings County at Columbus East, Tuesday, April 25, 2023.
Columbus East began Tuesday’s Hoosier Hills Conference game against Jennings County by playing small ball.
Then in the fourth inning, with the game tied 4-4, the Olympians played long ball.
Kaylee Cole and Savanna Sullivan picked an opportune time to hit their first home runs of the softball season. Cole uncorked a two-run homer to right center. Three batters later, Sullivan smacked a two-run shot to left field, and East went on to snap a four-game losing streak with a 13-7 Hoosier Hills Conference win.
“It was kind of nice hitting one after Kaylee because she’s a senior,” said Sullivan, a junior center fielder. “I think now that we won, we have a little bit more confidence under our belt. Hopefully, we can take that into our next games and just keep winning.”
Cole, a Bowling Green recruit, came up with nobody out after Syracuse commit Kenzie Foster had led off with a single and stolen second.
“I was just thinking, ‘Score Kenzie,’” Cole said. “I’ve been in a slump the past four games, so hitting that felt good.”
Sullivan’s home run, which followed a one-out single by Addy Ross, ended the night in the circle for Panther starter Kenzie Matern.
“It was neat to see Savanna come up and lay down a nice bunt the first time up, and she squeezes in a run,” East coach Rusty Brummett said. “Then, her next at-bat, she hits one off the top of the concession stand. That’s an athlete doing what she’s asked at that point in time in the ballgame and executing.”
Freshman Jillian Brauer came on for Jennings (10-6, 1-2) and got out of that inning, but the Olympians (9-6, 1-2) plated two runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth.
“I think this is the first game that we’ve really seen our pitchers struggle,” Jennings coach Bobby Willis said. “We had several walks, especially to start the game. We weren’t sharp really at any point of the game. We scored runs, but we were working from behind, and they were throwing a lot of strikes and that’s what’s going to happen in games like that. We can’t dig ourselves a hole.”
The Panthers pounded out 11 hits. Abby McDonald and Riley Byford each went 3 for 4 with two RBIs, with Byford clubbing a two-run homer in the seventh.
East managed 12 hits. Cole went 3 for 4 with four RBIs, and Foster and Maryn Mayes each went 3 for 4.
“It was nice to see us getting back to what we do, which is hitting the ball hard some plays,” Brummett said. “Good things will happen when you put the ball in play. We did get our bats going, and I thought Hermione (Robinson) did a nice job pitching. Our defense probably needs to get a little bit better. But we’re doing the right thing.
“The bottom of our lineup executed great tonight,” he added. “Top-to-bottom, 1-to-9, and we got a bunch of kids in the game defensively, it was a fun ballgame. Jennings County is always a good program. We caught them on a night when they probably weren’t at their best, and a lot of that, we caused. We’re putting the ball in play, we’re making people play defense, we’re putting pressure on the defense and that always helps.”
