– Photo courtesy of the Rossville Hornets
The Rossville Hornets secured their title as Hoosier Heartland Conference Champions after facing off against the Delphi Oracles Wednesday night.
The Hornets celebrated a victory and the Hoosier Heartland Conference Champion title Wednesday night after rising above the Delphi Oracles with a final score of 8 to 1.
The Oracles swung into the top of the first inning with determination as a hit allowed for the Oracles to take an early lead against the Hornets before the game swiftly changed in favor of the Rossville with bats blazing for the Hornets as they raced into the lead against the Oracles with two runs secured in the first inning, granting the Hornets enough runs to win the game. The teams headed into the second inning with a score of 2 to 1 in favor of the Hornets.
The Hornets held the Oracles to one total run in the second inning, but as the Hornets cycled to the plate, multiple hits allowed for the bases to become the Hornets’ stomping grounds with two more runs scored, bringing the score to 4 to 1 in favor of the Hornets heading into the third inning.
Both teams held each other stagnant for the third and fourth innings before the Hornets kicked back up again with multiple hits and expert baserunning to secure two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, bringing the score to 6 to 1 in favor of the Hornets.
The Hornets scored two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to secure the title of Hoosier Heartland Conference Champions with a score of 8 to 1 as the Hornets held the Oracles to zero in the top of the seventh, ending the game and securing the victory for Rossville. The Hornets racked up seven hits throughout the game with only two errors, allowing for the Hornets to keep their dominant look toward playoffs. The Oracles were not allowed another run after the first inning, resulting in one total hit for the team during the game.
The Oracles achieved a feat against the Hornets as pitcher Lexi Miller secured her 1,000th strikeout of her career, racking up 12 strikeouts during the faceoff in the championship game. Hornet Avery Layton kept up with Miller on the mound, throwing a complete game for the Hornets with 15 strikeouts. The game was a nostalgic send-off for the two pitchers with Miller being a senior and Layton being a junior who were both members of the Tippy Explosion travel team when they were 12-years-old before becoming school rivals with bounds of appreciation for one another.