Friday, April 28, 2017

BOYS’ HOOPS: Langford receives yet another honor for 2016-17 season

By KEVIN HARRIS
JEFFERSONVILLE – Romeo Langford has received another accolade for his phenomenal 2016-17 season.
On Wednesday, the New Albany junior was named to USA Today’s 2016-17 All-USA Indiana Boys’ Basketball Team.
Langford was a first-team selection along with Indianapolis North Central senior and 2017 Indiana Mr. Basketball Kris Wilkes, LaPorte La Lumiere senior Brian Bowen, Indianapolis Ben Davis junior Aaron Henry and Fort Wayne Snider senior Malik Williams.
The second team consisted of two Fort Wayne North players in sophomore Keion Brooks and senior Jaylen Butz, the Castle duo of senior Jack Nunge and sophomore Alex Hemenway and Cloverdale senior Cooper Neese. Ben Davis head coach Mark James earned Indiana Coach of the Year honors.
This past season, Langford scored 28.7 points per game and grabbed 8.9 rebounds a contest to lead New Albany to a 25-4 record, a fourth consecutive outright Hoosier Hills Conference championship and a fourth straight Class 4A Seymour Sectional title. The 6-foot-5 swingman also averaged 3.4 assists and 2.1 blocked shots per clip. Langford became the Bulldogs’ all-time leading scorer in 2016-17.
Langford was selected to the All-HHC first team, The Associated Press All-State first team and the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Underclass Supreme 15 All-State squad. He made the Indiana Junior All-Star team.
In addition, Langford received a few national honors. He was a second-team selection to the MaxPreps Junior All-American team and a fourth-team pick to the MaxPreps All-American squad. He was named a Naismith All-American.

BASEBALL: Bulldogs take care of Clarksville 14-7

By KEVIN HARRIS
kevinharris1972@gmail.com                                                                                                                
NEW ALBANY – New Albany pounded out 15 hits Wednesday at Mt. Tabor Field to defeat visiting Clarksville 14-7.
Ryan Robison was one of the leaders of the Bulldog offense, going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Teammate Andrew Ricketts also went 3-for-4 with a double.
New Albany’s Christian Sifers was 2-for-3 with a triple, a home run and four RBIs. His homer was a three-run shot in the bottom of the third inning. The Bulldogs’ Chase Rudy went 2-for-4 with a double, a two-run homer in the fourth and three RBIs.
Also for New Albany (7-6), Dylan Clark ended up 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Bulldog pitcher Steven Thom got his first win of the season. He gave up three runs (all earned) on five hits. Thom struck out six and walked two.
Webster Walls led the Clarksville bats, going 3-for-4. Teammates Ethan Cummings and Matt Hauber each were 2-for-3. Cummings had three RBIs.
Generals pitcher Clayton Haus got the loss. In 3 1/3 innings, he allowed eight runs (four earned) on seven hits. Haus walked two and struck out one.
New Albany will host Evansville Mater Dei at 7 p.m. Friday at Mt. Tabor Field. Clarksville (4-9) will travel to Mid-Southern Conference rival Brownstown Central at 5:30 p.m. Monday.

NEW ALBANY 14, CLARKSVILLE 7
Clarksville        300 103 0-  7 10 3
New Albany      104 603 x-14 15 2
W – Steven Thom (1-0). L – Clayton Haus (1-3). 2B – Haus (C), Ryan Robison (NA), Chase Rudy (NA), Thom (NA), Cody Medley (NA), Andrew Ricketts (NA). 3B – Christian Sifers (NA). HR – Rudy (NA), Sifers (NA).
Records – New Albany 7-6, Clarksville 4-9.


SOFTBALL: Bulldogs rebound from Jeff loss with 11-5 win over Providence

By KEVIN HARRIS
NEW ALBANY – New Albany rebounded from Monday’s disappointing 7-6 loss in 10 innings at rival Jeffersonville with an 11-5 home victory over another rival in Providence on Tuesday at Prosser Field.
Mariah Grant paced the Bulldogs’ offense. She went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored.
New Albany freshman Madison Lawson was 2-for-4, scoring twice and collecting two RBIs. Teammate Marissa Jones went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored.
Bulldog starter Morgan Jenks earned the complete-game victory, improving her record to 3-1. She allowed five runs (two earned) on five hits and no walks. Jenks struck out 12.
Starter Hannah Wolford got the loss for Providence (3-7) as she fanned 12 Bulldogs (8-7). She went 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI.

NEW ALBANY 11, PROVIDENCE 5
Providence                000 200 3-  5   5 4
New Albany              030 503 x-11 10 2
W – Morgan Jenks (3-1). L – Hannah Wolford (3-6). 2B – Marissa Jones (NA), Mariah Grant (NA), Erikah Crosier (NA). 3B – Gabby Roberts (P).
Records – New Albany 8-7, Providence 3-7.

Thursday, April 27, 2017

BASEBALL: Red Devils break skid against North Harrison 16-1

By KEVIN HARRIS
JEFFERSONVILLE – Jeffersonville snapped a three-game losing streak Tuesday night at Don Poole Field as it rolled past visiting North Harrison in five innings 16-1. The Red Devils collected 15 hits, five of them for extra bases.
Jeff junior Ethan English was productive on the mound and at the plate. English earned his first victory of the 2017 season by pitching a six-hitter. He had eight strikeouts and three walks, and the one run he gave up was earned.
English was a triple away from hitting for the cycle. He went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, three RBIs and a run scored.
Red Devil senior Cam Northern and Jeff sophomore Jack Ellis joined English with three-hit games. Northern wound up 3-for-3 with a double, three runs scored and an RBI. Ellis was 3-for-3 with five RBIs and three runs scored. He drilled a three-run homer.
Jeff senior Bennie Day went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a run scored. Teammates Drew Taylor and Ian Francisco each drove in two runs.
Cougar senior Alex Eveslage went 2-for-2. North Harrison sophomore Ben Davis was the losing pitcher.
Jeff (5-6) will host Louisville St. Xavier at 6 p.m. Thursday. The Cougars will visit Salem at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

JEFFERSONVILLE 16, NORTH HARRISON 1, 5 INNINGS
N. Harrison        000 01-   1  6 4
Jeff                      833 2x-16 15 0
W – Ethan English (1-0). L – Ben Davis. 2B – English (J), Cam Northern (J), Bailey Falkenstein (J). HR – English (J), Jack Ellis (J).
Records – Jeff 5-6.

SOFTBALL: Red Devils fall behind early, lose to Silver Creek 9-5

By KEVIN HARRIS
JEFFERSONVILLE – Jeffersonville fell behind 6-0 after 1 ½ innings and could not recover Tuesday at the Ralph Scales Athletic Complex, losing to visiting Silver Creek 9-5.
Red Devil junior Faith Denig went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Fellow Jeff junior Lindsey Nelson also was 2-for-4. Nelson scored a run.
Red Devil senior pitcher Jennah Tincher suffered the loss in the circle. In 1 1/3 innings of work, Tincher allowed six runs (four earned) on six hits.
Jeff sophomore Lizzy Coons pitched two scoreless innings, giving up two hits. Red Devil junior pitcher Mackenzie Brockwell threw 3 2/3 innings as she surrendered three runs (one earned) on five hits.
The three Jeff pitchers did not get any help from the Jeff defense, which committed five errors. The Dragons made three miscues.
The Red Devils (7-9) will host a split doubleheader Saturday against both Bloomington high schools. They will face Bloomington North at 10 a.m., followed by a 2 p.m. matchup with Bloomington South.
Silver Creek will host Mid-Southern Conference rival North Harrison at 5 p.m. Thursday.

SILVER CREEK 9, JEFFERSONVILLE 5
Silver Creek          331 002 0-9 13 3
Jeff                         010 020 2-5   7 5
L – Jennah Tincher (4-6). 2B – Faith Denig (J).
Records – Jeff 7-9.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

BASEBALL: Solid pitching enables Bulldogs to beat Holy Cross 4-2

By KEVIN HARRIS
NEW ALBANY – Starting pitcher Jonah Boone earned his first victory of the season to lead New Albany to a 4-2 victory over visiting Louisville Holy Cross on Tuesday at Mt. Tabor Field.
Boone threw four innings, allowing two first-inning runs (both earned) on two hits. He struck out two and issued two walks.
Bulldog reliever Chase Rudy tossed two scoreless frames, giving up two hits and one walk. Teammate Logan Charbonneau collected the save, yielding no runs on one hit in one inning of work.
In the bottom of the first, Ryan Robison cut New Albany’s deficit to 2-1 by launching a solo home run. The Bulldogs (6-6) tied the game at two with a score in the bottom of the third. They took the lead for good in the fourth with a pair of runs.
New Albany will try to extend its winning streak to three games at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Mt. Tabor Field, as it hosts Clarksville.

NEW ALBANY 4, LOUISVILLE HOLY CROSS 2
Holy Cross        200 000 0-2 5 2
New Albany      101 200 x-4 8 0
W – Jonah Boone (1-0). L – Adam Hunter. S – Logan Charbonneau. 2B – Christian Schulten (HC). HR – Ryan Robison (NA).
Records – New Albany 6-6, Holy Cross 10-9-1.

BASEBALL: Jeff begins rough week with 13-5 loss to No. 3 Providence

By KEVIN HARRIS
JEFFERSONVILLE – On Monday night at Don Poole Field, Jeffersonville started a challenging week on the wrong foot.
The host Red Devils allowed 12 hits in losing to defending Class 2A state champion Providence 13-5. Jeff’s losing streak extended to three games. After a home game with North Harrison on Tuesday, the Red Devils (4-6) will host Louisville perennial power St. Xavier on Thursday and entertain Class 3A No. 1 Jasper on Friday. On Saturday, Jeff will travel to another Kentucky perennial power in Pleasure Ridge Park.
Red Devil senior Cam Northern went 3-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Teammate Drew Taylor was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Jeff right-hander Jacob Cochrum got the loss, evening his record at 2-2. The senior yielded eight runs (all earned) on seven hits, walking four and striking out three.
Joe Wilkinson had a huge game at the plate for Class 2A No. 3 Providence (13-3). The sophomore was 2-for-4 with four RBIs and three runs scored. Wilkinson smacked a three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning.
Teammate Juston Betz went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Also for the Pioneers, Jake Lewis was 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored and Reece Davis ended up 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI.
Davis was the winning pitcher as he kept his undefeated record intact at 5-0. The junior threw a complete game, surrendering five runs (three earned) on nine hits and three walks. Davis struck out four.
Providence will host Crawford County at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

PROVIDENCE 13, JEFFERSONVILLE 5
Providence             100 252 3-13 12 1
Jeff                          010 310 0-  5   9 1
W – Reece Davis (5-0). L – Jacob Cochrum (2-2). 2B – Jake Lewis (P), Parker Graf (P), Ethan English (J), Cam Northern (J), Bailey Falkenstein (J). HR – Joe Wilkinson (P).
Records – Providence 13-3, Jeff 4-6.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

SOFTBALL: Jeff rallies in 10th to down rival Bulldogs 7-6

By KEVIN HARRIS
JEFFERSONVILLE – The Jeffersonville Red Devils refused to lose Monday night at the Ralph Scales Athletic Complex, especially after going down three runs in the top of the 10th inning against archrival New Albany.
Jeff scored four runs in the bottom half to pull off an unbelievable 7-6 victory over the Bulldogs.
With the score tied at three entering the 10th, junior Erikah Crosier smacked a two-run home run off Red Devil starter Lizzy Coons to put New Albany (7-7) up 5-3. Later in the frame, the Bulldogs extended their lead to 6-3 when Terah Crosier came home on a Jeff error.
In the bottom of the 10th, the Red Devils (7-8) loaded the bases with one out thanks to singles by Coons, Lindsey Nelson and Nan Garcia off Bulldog starter Bri Schoenfeld.
Then, Jeff junior Faith Denig tied the game at six with a three-run, bases-clearing double.
Red Devil sophomore Casey Schweitzer delivered the game-winning hit, belting a long single off Schoenfeld to right field to knock in Denig from third base.
“When New Albany hit the homer and then scored another run, I knew it looked bleak,” first-year Jeff head coach Mike Coons said. “But I believe in these girls and knew we could come back and at least tie the game. These girls have been in tight games and have had to fight back many times this year, so we leaned on those experiences.
“It was a great game by both teams. Both teams and pitchers played their guts out. It was a great team win. Everyone stepped up and made plays.”
Bulldogs’ head coach Steve Belden tipped his hat to the Red Devils following the victory.
“I have to hand it to Jeff. After we scored three runs in the top of the 10th, they did not give up and worked themselves to a win,” Belden said. “It was a disappointing loss, but a good learning experience for the team and we should learn from this.”
Jeff pitcher Jennah Tincher got the victory. Tincher relieved Lizzy Coons, who had a strong outing in the circle after pitching eight innings in a 1-0 victory over Corydon Central last Friday. Red Devil senior Kaylee Strong had two hits.
Terah Crosier was 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored and an RBI. New Albany freshman Madison Lawson went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
Schoenfeld was the losing pitcher, giving up seven runs (six earned) on 12 hits in going the distance.

JEFFERSONVILLE 7, NEW ALBANY 6, 10 INNINGS
New Albany          110 100 000 3-6   9 3
Jeff                        000 210 000 4-7 12 6
W – Jennah Tincher (4-5). L – Bri Schoenfeld (3-6). 2B – Lizzy Coons (J), Terah Crosier (NA). HR – Erikah Crosier (NA).
Records – Jeff 7-8, New Albany 7-7.

SOFTBALL: Bulldogs, Schoenfeld shut out Henryville 5-0

By KEVIN HARRIS
HENRYVILLE – Sophomore Bri Schoenfeld pitched a two-hit shutout last Friday to lead visiting New Albany to a 5-0 victory at Class 2A No. 3 Henryville.
The Bulldog right-hander struck out four and walked one to improve her record to 3-5.
New Albany freshman Madison Lawson went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Bulldog senior Marissa Jones was 2-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored. Teammate Erikah Crosier had a double and two RBIs. The Bulldogs (7-6) took advantage of seven Hornet errors.
Henryville pitcher Peyton Ottersbach suffered the loss. She gave up five runs (two earned) on seven hits, striking out five and issuing no walks.
The Hornets (12-3) will travel to Providence at 5 p.m. Thursday.

NEW ALBANY 5, HENRYVILLE 0
New Albany          002 010 2-5 7 2
Henryville             000 000 0-0 2 7
W – Bri Schoenfeld (3-5). L – Peyton Ottersbach. 2B – Marissa Jones (NA), Schoenfeld (NA), Erikah Crosier (NA).
Records – New Albany 7-6, Henryville 12-3.

Monday, April 24, 2017

BOYS’ HOOPS: Langford performs well in adidas Gauntlet Series this weekend

By KEVIN HARRIS
FORT WORTH, Texas – New Albany junior swingman Romeo Langford competed against some of the best high school players in the nation this weekend at the adidas Gauntlet Series. Langford averaged 24.7 points per game for Louisville-based Twenty Two Vision during the event.
Langford scored a game-high 28 points in Twenty Two Vision’s 66-62 victory over SC Supreme from Boiling Springs, S.C., on Friday. He shot 9-of-15 from the field, 1-of-5 from 3-point range and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. Langford had a game-high four assists, four rebounds, two blocked shots and one steal.
On Saturday, Langford tallied 11 points in Twenty Two Vision’s 66-58 loss to Team BBC from Baltimore. The 6-foot-5 Bulldog standout connected on only 2-of-12 field goals and missed all five of his 3-point shots. Langford made 7-of-7 free throws along with a game-high three steals, three rebounds and one assists.
Langford did not play in Twenty Two Vision’s second game on Saturday as it defeated Team Bradley NW Panthers from Renton, Wash., 70-57.
Langford recorded his highest point total during his trip to Texas in Twenty Two Vision’s 91-84 setback to YIIS TX Future from San Antonio on Sunday.
Langford poured in a game-high 35 points, shooting 12-of-22 from the floor, 3-of-10 from 3-point range and 8-of-10 from the stripe. He grabbed five rebounds, distributed a team-high four assists, blocked one shot and made one steal.
Inside The Hall’s Alex Bozich reported that Indiana head coach Archie Miller, Kansas boss Bill Self and Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski watched Langford’s game against SC Supreme. Assistant coaches from Kentucky, North Carolina and Louisville also witnessed the contest.

BASEBALL: Red Devils suffer rough loss at No. 7 BNL 9-3

By KEVIN HARRIS
BEDFORD – Jeffersonville’s roller-coaster season continued Saturday at Stars Field.
The Red Devils dropped their second consecutive game in a 9-3 loss at Class 4A No. 7 Bedford North Lawrence. Jeff (4-5) began the season losing its first three contests, followed by winning its next four games.
Leading 1-0, the Stars (11-2) scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 5-0 lead. In the frame, Bedford collected four hits and benefitted from two Red Devil errors.
Jeff got its first run in the top of the third, cutting the Stars’ advantage to 5-1. But BNL got its advantage back to five in the bottom half, as it scored a run thanks to a Red Devil error with two outs. For the game, Jeff committed four errors.
In the top of the fourth, the Devils plated two runs to pull within 6-3 thanks to a Bedford error with two outs. But the Stars put the game away with three runs in the fifth and sixth innings combined.
“We are a bad baseball team - a very bad baseball team - right now,” Jeff head coach Derek Ellis told the Times-Mail in Bedford after the game. “We have some talent, but they aren’t playing like it at all right now. If we’re going to give quality teams like BNL extra outs and make our pitchers have to throw extra pitches, this is what’s going to happen to you.”
Jeff junior Ethan English had an efficient game at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a double. Red Devil senior Cam Northern was the losing pitcher. In five innings of work, Northern allowed seven runs (three earned) on 10 hits. He recorded six strikeouts, while issuing no walks.
Bedford starter Tanner McBride earned the win, as he stayed undefeated at 4-0. The senior yielded three runs (none earned) on six hits. McBride walked four Red Devils and struck out one.
The Stars’ Brody Tanksley and Brandt Callahan each went 3-for-4. Tanksley had three RBIs and Callahan scored three times. Also for BNL, junior Garrett Ramsey was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI and senior Michael Underwood went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
Jeff will host Class 2A No. 3 and defending 2A state champion Providence (12-3) at 7 p.m. Monday.

BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 9, JEFFERSONVILLE 3
Jeff                    001 200 0-3   7 4
Bedford NL      141 012 x-9 13 3
W – Tanner McBride (4-0). L – Cam Northern (1-1). 2B – Drew Taylor (J), Ethan English (J), Michael Underwood (BNL).
Records – Jeff 4-5, BNL 11-2.

Sunday, April 23, 2017

SOFTBALL: Schweitzer’s double ends Jeff’s four-game skid 1-0

By KEVIN HARRIS
JEFFERSONVILLE – Casey Schweitzer’s RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning snapped Jeffersonville’s four-game losing streak Friday in a 1-0 win over visiting Corydon Central.
The sophomore’s two-bagger came with two outs as she knocked in freshman Nan Garcia for the game-winning run.
Schweitzer’s game-winning knock secured the victory for Jeff starter Lizzy Coons. The sophomore pitcher threw a four-hit shutout, striking out three and walking one.
Schweitzer and Garcia each went 2-for-4. Panther junior Sydney Oskin was the losing pitcher.
The Red Devils (6-8) will host archrival New Albany (6-6) at approximately 7 p.m. Monday. The junior varsity game will begin at 5:30 p.m. Corydon (10-5) will visit Eastern at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

JEFFERSONVILLE 1, CORYDON CENTRAL 0, 8 innings
Corydon Cen.             000 000 00-0 4 0
Jeff                               000 000 01-1 7 1
W – Lizzy Coons (2-3). L – Sydney Oskin. 2B – Coons (J), Casey Schweitzer (J), Lindsey Nelson (J).
Records – Jeff 6-8, Corydon Central 10-5.

Saturday, April 22, 2017

SOFTBALL: Jeff loses to another HHC foe in BNL 6-3

By KEVIN HARRIS
BEDFORD – Jeffersonville suffered its third loss of the week to a Hoosier Hills Conference rival Thursday, falling at Class 4A No. 5 Bedford North Lawrence 6-3.
The Red Devils’ Lindsey Nelson had a solid day at the plate. The junior went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
Teammate Juliette Schuur was 2-for-4 with a double and a triple. Freshman Nan Garcia also went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI for Jeff (5-8).
Red Devil starter Jennah Tincher got the loss in the circle. The senior pitched 2 1/3 innings, yielding six runs (three earned) on six hits. At the plate, Tincher went 2-for-3.
Jeff sophomore Lizzy Coons relieved Tincher in the bottom of the third inning. Coons surrendered no runs on two hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Trailing 2-0 in the top of the third, Nelson and Garcia each collected RBI base hits to tie the game at two. But the Stars (14-0) responded with four runs in the bottom half to take a 6-2 lead. The key hit in the frame was a three-run home run by sophomore Cassie Rutledge. It was Rutledge’s eighth homer of the 2017 campaign.
BNL’s Kate Williams, Katie Nicholson and Hailey Miller each smacked two hits. Miller hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the first and had three RBIs for the game.
Stars’ starter Zoe Adams was the winning pitcher, improving her record to 11-0. Adams pitched a complete game, giving up three runs (one earned) on eight hits. She struck out four and walked none.

BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 6, JEFFERSONVILLE 3
Jeff                       002 100 0-3 9 3
Bedford NL         204 000 x-6 8 2
W – Zoe Adams (11-0). L – Jennah Tincher (3-5). 2B – Juliette Schuur (J), Nan Garcia (J), Kate Williams (BNL). 3B – Schuur (J). HR – Cassie Rutledge (BNL), Hailey Miller (BNL).
Records – Jeff 5-8, BNL 14-0.

Friday, April 21, 2017

BASEBALL: Robison leads Bulldogs past Jeff in pitchers’ duel 3-1

By KEVIN HARRIS
JEFFERSONVILLE – Archrivals New Albany and Jeffersonville were involved in their second consecutive low-scoring pitchers’ duel in their longtime series Wednesday night at Don Poole Field.
And for the second time in a row, the Bulldogs came out on top.
Junior Ryan Robison led New Albany on the mound and the plate in its 3-1 victory over the Red Devils. In the last meeting between the Ohio River foes last May, the Bulldogs (5-6) edged Jeff 1-0 in the 2016 Class 4A Floyd Central Sectional championship game. The Red Devils’ winning streak ended at four games.
Robison pitched a complete-game win to even his record at 2-2. The left-hander surrendered one earned run on seven hits with five strikeouts and one walk. In the batter’s box, he went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
The Red Devils (4-4) got on the scoreboard first. They scored their lone run in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Jeff starter Gabe Bierman collected an RBI single to plate junior Bailey Falkenstein.
The Devils collected three of their seven hits in the frame. All of the knocks were singles.
New Albany tied the game at one in the top of the fifth. Jonah Boone delivered a double that reached the left-field fence, knocking in Dylan Clark.
The Bulldogs’ final two runs came in the top of the sixth. Jacob Mullins scored from second base on Jeff’s second error of the frame to put New Albany up 2-1. The Bulldogs got an insurance run later in the frame when Steven Thom came home on a Robison sacrifice fly.
Bierman went the distance, giving up three runs (one earned) on four hits. The Indiana University commit recorded seven strikeouts and issued three walks as his record fell to 1-3. Bierman and Falkenstein each went 2-for-3.
Both teams will be back in action Saturday. New Albany will travel to Evansville to face Evansville Reitz (10-3) at 11 a.m. EDT at legendary Bosse Field. Jeff will visit Hoosier Hills Conference foe Bedford North Lawrence at 11 a.m.

NEW ALBANY 3, JEFFERSONVILLE 1
New Albany          000 012 0-3 4 1
Jeff                         000 100 0-1 7 3
W – Ryan Robison (2-2). L – Gabe Bierman (1-3). 2B – Jonah Boone (NA), Robison (NA).
Records – New Albany 5-6, Jeff 4-4.

SOFTBALL: Red Devils suffer 10-4 setback at Jennings County

By KEVIN HARRIS
NORTH VERNON – Jeffersonville’s losing streak extended to three games Tuesday in a 10-4 setback at Hoosier Hills Conference foe Jennings County 10-4. It was a make-up game after it got rained out on April 5.
The Red Devils (5-7) collected 11 hits, but they left 10 runners on base.
Four Jeff players smacked two hits apiece. Senior Kaylee Strong, junior Meghan Lay and sophomore Lizzy Coons each were 2-for-3. Coons had a double and a run scored, Lay got a triple and an RBI and Strong drove in one run. Red Devil junior Lindsey Nelson went 2-for-4. Also for Jeff, Nan Garcia launched a solo home run.
Red Devil senior Jennah Tincher was the losing pitcher. In 1 2/3 innings of work, Tincher allowed six runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk. Coons threw 4 1/3 innings, yielding four runs (three earned) on three hits. Coons walked three and struck out two.
Tesla Kopitzke collected a double and a homer for the Panthers (8-3). Teammate Amanda Bonesteel was the winning pitcher, improving her record to 3-1.

JENNINGS COUNTY 10, JEFFERSONVILLE 4
Jeff                      210 001 0-  4 11 2
Jennings Co.      150 121 x-10   8 0
W – Amanda Bonesteel (3-1). L – Jennah Tincher (3-4). 2B – Lizzy Coons (Jeff), Sidney Gerkin (JC), Tesla Kopitzke (JC). 3B – Meghan Lay (Jeff), Olivia Vanosdol (JC). HR – Nan Garcia (Jeff), Kopitzke (JC).
Records – Jeff 5-7, Jennings County 8-3.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

SOFTBALL: New Albany loses at home to Seymour 6-5

By KEVIN HARRIS
NEW ALBANY – New Albany’s record dropped back to the .500 mark Tuesday at Prosser Field in a 6-5 loss to visiting Seymour.
Bulldog sophomore Terah Crosier went 2-for-4 with an RBI, as both of her hits were doubles. Fellow sophomore Riley Case also was 2-for-4 and scored twice.
New Albany right-hander Bri Schoenfeld gave up five runs (four earned) on eight hits in getting the loss.
Lo Schmidt led the Owls’ offense, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and a run scored. Seymour starter Rachel Kaufman earned the win in the circle. She threw a complete game, allowing five runs (three earned) on 10 hits. Kaufman struck out four and walked two. She also helped herself at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
New Albany (6-6) will travel to archrival Jeffersonville (5-8) at 5:30 p.m. Monday.

SEYMOUR 6, NEW ALBANY 5
Seymour            030 021 0-6 10 4
New Albany       011 111 0-5 10 2
W – Rachel Kaufman. L – Bri Schoenfeld (2-5). 2B – Alyssa Kraemer (NA), Terah Crosier 2 (NA). 3B – Erikah Crosier (NA). HR – Lo Schmidt (S).
Records – New Albany 6-6, Seymour 7-1.

BASEBALL: Jeff wins fourth in a row by rallying against East 6-5

By KEVIN HARRIS
JEFFERSONVILLE – Jeffersonville extended its winning streak to four games Tuesday night at Don Poole Field, defeating Hoosier Hills Conference foe Columbus East 6-5.
The Red Devils’ Ethan English and Mike Minton each went 3-for-3. All three of English’s hits were doubles. He also had two RBIs and one run scored. Minton scored twice. Devyn Rivers was Jeff’s third multihit player, going 2-for-3.
Red Devil starter Jacob Cochrum got the victory to improve his record to 2-0. Cochrum surrendered five runs (all earned) on nine hits. He struck out six and walked none. Teammate Cam Northern got the save as he pitched a scoreless top of the seventh inning.
The Olympians (8-3) took a 5-3 lead in the top of the fifth by plating four runs in the frame. But Jeff (4-3) bounced back with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead for good.
East’s Jonathan Foster, Eric McMullen and Luke Hostetler each collected two hits.
The Red Devils will host archrival New Albany (4-6) at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

JEFFERSONVILLE 6, COLUMBUS EAST 5
Columbus East           010 040 0-5 11 0
Jeff                               012 003 x-6  9 1
W – Jacob Cochrum (2-0). L – Drew Hasson (0-1). S – Cam Northern. 2B – Josh Major (CE), Eric McMullen (CE), Luke Hostetler (CE), Ethan English 3 (J).
Records – Jeff 4-3, Columbus East 8-3.

SOFTBALL: Red Devils fall at Floyd Central 9-5

By KEVIN HARRIS
FLOYDS KNOBS – Despite a great start Monday, Jeffersonville suffered its fourth loss in six games in a 9-5 setback at Floyd Central.
The Red Devils (5-6) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning thanks to solo home runs by Lindsey Nelson and Kaylee Strong. But the Highlanders (12-5) answered with a three-run shot by Dallas Henderson in the bottom half to go up 3-2.
Floyd Central tacked on six more runs after that to extend its advantage to 9-2 after six innings. Jeff scored three runs in the top of the seventh as Nelson blasted her second homer of the game.
Nelson ended up going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Strong also went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Faith Denig was the third Red Devil to go 2-for-4.
Red Devil sophomore Lizzy Coons was the losing pitcher, allowing eight runs (five earned) on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Highlander senior Taylor Castleberry was 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Teammate Cassie Thomerson went 2-for-2 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored. Floyd Central senior Jensen Striegel wound up 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
Highlander sophomore Abby Letson collected the victory in the circle. Letson pitched five innings, yielding two runs (both earned) on four hits and a walk. She struck out five.
Floyd Central will travel to Madison at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

FLOYD CENTRAL 9, JEFFERSONVILLE 5
Jeff                        200 000 3-5 8 5
Floyd Central      301 032 x-9 9 1
W – Abby Letson (5-3). L – Lizzy Coons (1-3). 2B – Kaylee Strong (J), Coons (J), Nan Garcia (J), Cassie Thomerson (FC), Jensen Striegel (FC). HR – Strong (J), Lindsey Nelson 2 (J), Dallas Henderson (FC).
Records – Jeff 5-6, Floyd Central 12-5. 

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

SOFTBALL: Bulldogs bounce back with 8-6 win over Charlestown

By KEVIN HARRIS
NEW ALBANY – New Albany rebounded from its extra-inning loss to Silver Creek in Saturday’s Jacque Hunter Invitational final with an 8-6 home victory over Charlestown on Monday at Prosser Field.
With the score tied at four, the Bulldogs (6-5) grabbed the lead for good with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The big hit in the frame was a two-run double by Marissa Jones.
Riley Case led the New Albany bats, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Jones was 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Also for the Bulldogs, Madison Lawson went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two stolen bases, Terah Crosier was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored and Jewel Cunningham stole a pair of bases.
New Albany’s Alyssa Kraemer was the winning pitcher. In 4 1/3 innings, she allowed four runs (all earned) on six hits. Kraemer struck out four and walked one. Teammate Morgan Jenks earned the save.
Lexi Eblen paced the Pirates (3-4) with a 3-for-4 game, smacking a double. Teammate Mackenzie Smith smacked two doubles. Charlestown pitcher Kendall Cline got the loss.
The Bulldogs will host Seymour at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Pirates will visit Corydon Central at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

NEW ALBANY 8, CHARLESTOWN 6
Charlestown            000 130 2-6 13 2
New Albany             002 114 x-8 12 1
W – Alyssa Kraemer (3-1). L – Kendall Cline (3-4). S – Morgan Jenks. 2B – Marissa Jones (NA), Terah Crosier 2 (NA), Mackenzie Smith 2 (C), Shirlee Hayes (C), Lexi Eblen (C).
Records – New Albany 6-5, Charlestown 3-4.

Monday, April 17, 2017

SOFTBALL: Bulldogs squander chance to win Hunter Invite in 9-8 loss to Dragons

By KEVIN HARRIS
NEW ALBANY – If there is one area of New Albany’s game that has been its Achilles heel this season, it has been its defense.
On Saturday at Prosser Field, errors cost the Bulldogs a chance to win their annual tournament, the Jacque Hunter Invitational.
Thanks to seven errors, New Albany blew an early 4-0 lead and a 5-3 advantage in the top of the seventh inning to lose the Hunter Invitational championship game to Silver Creek in eight innings 9-8.
Veteran Bulldogs’ head coach Steve Belden thinks his team’s overall inexperience at the varsity level is why it is struggling in the field this season.
“It’s the team’s youth is what it is,” Belden said. “Some of them may be sophomores and juniors, but it’s their first time playing varsity. We’ve only got three girls playing in the position they did last year. We have to get that handled and that’s going to come with experience.”
The Dragons’ perseverance gave them their third consecutive Hunter Invitational title. Silver Creek head coach Nate Gibson said he had three regular starters out for the championship and replaced them with three freshmen in Mazden Ragland, Elaina Ballingit and Alexia Flannery.
“Our defense was solid. But to win the big games like this, we’re going to have to hit the ball,” Gibson said. “It took us awhile to get started. But once we got started, we got rolling and got things moving our way.”
The Dragons (10-5) scored four runs in the top of the seventh as they collected three hits and took advantage of three Bulldog errors.
Silver Creek shortstop Jordan Balz scored the first run on an error, where New Albany (5-5) had no one covering first base on a groundball and the throw to first base went into the outfield.
Another errant throw to first by the Bulldogs allowed Dragon center fielder Alisha Harbold to come home and tie the game at five with one out. Silver Creek then went up 7-5 when starter Camryn Teague launched a double to deep left field to knock in two runs.
The Bulldogs tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with a pair of two-out runs. Terah Crosier collected an RBI single to center to cut the Creek lead to 7-6. She later scored the tying run on a single to left by New Albany first baseman Riley Case.
The Bulldogs were in position to possibly win the Hunter Invite when pitcher Bri Schoenfeld knocked a single into left to put Case in scoring position at second.
Belden decided to put Jewel Cunningham, who entered the game as a pinch-runner earlier, into the game as a courtesy runner. However, the umpires denied Cunningham to come in as a courtesy runner and called the third out.
According to the rulebook, a player cannot enter the game as a courtesy runner after she had come in earlier as a pinch-runner and an out is ruled.
Belden accepted responsibility for the mistake.
“That’s on me,” Belden said. “I forgot about that. I didn’t have my paper and I didn’t check with my (scorebook) in the dugout.”
Silver Creek broke the tie in the top of the eighth with a pair of runs. Ragland, who started the inning on second because of the international tiebreaker rule for regular-season tournaments, came home on a wild pitch to give the Dragons the lead for good at 8-7. Later in the frame, Harbold plated Balz on a groundout.
In the bottom half, New Albany’s Aaliyah Pipes came home from third on an RBI groundout by Mariah Grant with one out to slice the Silver Creek lead to 9-8. But the Bulldogs’ Madison Lawson grounded out to shortstop to sew up the Hunter Invite title for the Dragons.
Case, Erikah Crosier and Terah Crosier each went 3-for-4. Erikah Crosier scored three times, while Terah Crosier had three RBIs and two runs scored. Teammate Marissa Jones was 2-for-4. Schoenfeld got the loss in the circle. She pitched all eight innings, giving up nine runs (three earned) on 14 hits.
Silver Creek’s Abby Whitlock and Kira Gibson each had 3-for-5 games. Ragland ended up 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Balz was 2-for-5 with three runs scored.
Teague earned the win. The right-hander yielded eight runs (three earned) on 14 hits and no walks. She struck out four.
Lanesville (6-1) shut out Trinity Lutheran in the consolation game 7-0.

SEMIFINAL
NEW ALBANY 4, LANESVILLE 3
The Bulldogs had to rally from an early deficit to advance to the championship game.
With one out in the top of the first, Eagles’ shortstop Laynie Collins smacked a two-run homer over the left-center field fence. Lanesville extended its lead to 3-0 when Katelyn Hurley came home from second on an error with two outs.
New Albany’s comeback started in the bottom of the fourth. Terah Crosier came home on a wild pitch by Eagles’ starter Abby Duncan to pull the Bulldogs to within two runs at 3-1.
The gap narrowed to 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth when Grant came off the bench and smacked a one-out solo shot. Grant did not start because she had to attend a school function Saturday morning.
New Albany scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to earn the victory. With one out and runners at second and third, Jones tied the game at three with a sacrifice fly to left to plate Alyssa Kraemer. Grant then scored from third on a throwing error.
“The girls fought back,” Belden said. “Mariah is our spark. She sets the offense. When she hit the home run, it was a big lift.”
Grant wound up going 2-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI. Lawson was 2-for-3. Schoenfeld got the victory, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits in the complete-game effort.
Lanesville’s Shelby Adams was 2-for-2, while Collins went 2-for-3. Hurley was the losing pitcher.
Silver Creek defeated Trinity Lutheran in the other semifinal 7-1.

JACQUE HUNTER INVITATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIP
SILVER CREEK 9, NEW ALBANY 8, 8 INNINGS
Silver Creek          003 000 42-9 14 3
New Albany          401 000 21-8 14 7
W – Camryn Teague (6-1). L – Bri Schoenfeld (2-4). 2B – Teague (SC), Marissa Jones (NA). 3B – Erikah Crosier (NA).
Records – New Albany 5-5, Silver Creek 10-5.

SEMIFINAL
NEW ALBANY 4, LANESVILLE 3
Lanesville         201 000 0-3 7 3
New Albany     000 110 2-4 7 1
W – Schoenfeld (2-3). L – Katelyn Hurley. 2B – Karlee Atkins (NA), Riley Case (NA). HR – Mariah Grant (NA), Laynie Collins (L).
Records – New Albany 5-4, Lanesville 5-1.

BOYS’ HOOPS: NA’s Hibbard to play college ball at Hanover

By KEVIN HARRIS
NEW ALBANY – New Albany senior Isaac Hibbard has given a verbal commitment to play basketball next season at Hanover College.
The 6-foot guard announced his college choice last week on his Twitter handle.
“It’s been a long process but I’m Blessed to say that I have committed to play basketball at Hanover College,” Hibbard tweeted last Thursday when he made his announcement.
Hibbard averaged 13 points per game last season to help the Bulldogs finish 25-4 and capture both the Hoosier Hills Conference championship and the Class 4A Seymour Sectional title.
Hibbard earned a spot on the All-HHC first team and made the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Senior Large School All-State team. He was on the high honorable-mention list on the 2016-17 Associated Press All-State squad.
Hibbard finished his high school career ranked seventh on New Albany’s all-time scoring list. He helped the Bulldogs win the 2016 Class 4A state championship.
Last season, Hanover posted a 26-4 record and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III tournament. The Panthers won both the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles.
At Hanover, Hibbard will be reunited with former New Albany teammate Nick White, who is a sophomore forward for the Panthers.

BASEBALL: Bulldogs cannot stop Jasper rally in 6-4 loss

By KEVIN HARRIS
JASPER – Class 3A No. 3 Jasper rebounded from a 4-1 deficit to defeat visiting New Albany on Saturday at Ruxer Field 6-4.
The Bulldogs (4-6) scored two runs in the top of the third inning to take a 2-1 lead. They added a run in both the fourth and fifth to go up by three runs.
But the Wildcats (7-1) responded with four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 5-4 lead. They added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth.
Ryan Robison led New Albany at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double. Bulldog starter Logan Charbonneau got his first loss in the 2017 season. In six innings of work, he gave up six runs (two earned) on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
Evan Aders was Jasper’s top hitter with 2-for-3 game. He smacked a double and a home run and collected two RBIs.
Wildcat pitcher Reece Kleinhelter earned the victory. He surrendered four runs (one earned) on five hits, striking out four and walking one.
New Albany will visit Louisville Southern at 5 p.m. Monday.

JASPER 6, NEW ALBANY 4
New Albany      002 110 0-4 6 2
Jasper               100 041 x-6 4 3
W – Reece Kleinhelter. L – Logan Charbonneau (2-1). 2B – Ryan Robison (NA), Evan Aders (J). HR – Aders (J).
Records – New Albany 4-6, Jasper 7-1.

Sunday, April 16, 2017

BASEBALL: Red Devils back to .500 with win at Charlestown 15-0

By KEVIN HARRIS
CHARLESTOWN – Jeffersonville reached the .500 mark on Friday with a 15-0 victory in five innings at Charlestown.
Red Devil senior Cam Northern pitched a two-hit shutout in earning his first win of the season. The future Purdue University football player struck out six Pirates and walked none.
Senior Bennie Day led Jeff (3-3) on offense. He went 3-for-3 with a double, two runs scored, two RBIs and two stolen bases.
Red Devil junior and Indiana University commit Gabe Bierman was 2-for-2 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI. Teammate Devyn Rivers wound up 2-for-2 with a two-bagger and an RBI. Jeff sophomore Jack Ellis smacked a home run.
Charlestown’s two hits were a single by sophomore Payton Settles and a double by freshman Andrew Snider. The Red Devils scored 11 runs in the top of the first inning off Pirate junior starter Jacob Doherty.
Jeff will host Hoosier Hills Conference rival Columbus East at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Charlestown (4-6) will visit North Harrison at 5:30 p.m. Monday.

JEFFERSONVILLE 15, CHARLESTOWN 0
Jeff                    (11)20 02-15 15 0
Charlestown        000 00-  0    2 1
W – Cam Northern (1-0). L – Jacob Doherty. 2B – Ethan English (J), Mike Minton (J), Bennie Day (J), Bailey Falkenstein (J), Devyn Rivers (J), Gabe Bierman (J), Andrew Snider (C). HR – Jack Ellis (J).
Records – Jeff 3-3, Charlestown 4-6.

SOFTBALL: Bulldogs thump Scottsburg in five 18-3

By KEVIN HARRIS
NEW ALBANY – New Albany evened its record at 4-4 on Friday at Prosser Field with an 18-3 win over Scottsburg in five innings.
Three Bulldogs each smacked three hits. Sophomore Riley Case went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Fellow sophomore Terah Crosier was 3-for-4 with a double, three runs scored and a pair of RBIs. Sophomore Bri Schoenfeld ended up 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Morgan Jenks was the winning pitcher. She threw three innings as she yielded three runs (two earned) on seven hits. Jenks struck out three and walked one.
For Scottsburg (2-7), Kacey Gambrell went 3-for-3 with an RBI and Grace Cannon was 2-for-3 with a run scored.

NEW ALBANY 18, SCOTTSBURG 3
Scottsburg      003     00-   3  8 7
New Albany   132 (12)x-18 13 1
W – Morgan Jenks (2-1). L – Allie LaMaster. 2B – Terah Crosier (NA).
Records – New Albany 4-4, Scottsburg 2-7.

SOFTBALL: Lanesville edges Jeff on Friday 2-1

By KEVIN HARRIS
JEFFERSONVILLE – Jeffersonville collected just four hits in a 2-1 loss to visiting Lanesville on Friday.
Red Devil senior Juliette Schuur and teammate Lindsey Nelson each collected a double. Jeff’s other two hits were singles by sophomore Lizzy Coons and junior Meghan Lay.
Red Devil pitcher Jennah Tincher collected the loss, evening her record at 3-3. She yielded two runs (one earned) on four hits, walking three and striking out one.
Jeff (5-5) will travel to Floyd Central on Monday. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

LANESVILLE 2, JEFFERSONVILLE 1
Lanesville         100 001 0-2 4 2
Jeff                    000 010 0-1 4 1
L – Jennah Tincher (3-3). 2B – Juliette Schuur (J), Lindsey Nelson (J).
Records – Jeff 5-5, Lanesville 5-0.

Saturday, April 15, 2017

SOFTBALL: New Albany loses to HHC foe Stars 7-5

By KEVIN HARRIS
NEW ALBANY – New Albany lost to its second formidable Hoosier Hills Conference foe this week Thursday at Prosser Field, falling to Class 4A No. 5 Bedford North Lawrence 7-5.
The Bulldogs (3-4) had four players collect two hits. Terah Crosier went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Going 2-for-4 for New Albany were Mariah Grant, Marissa Jones and Erikah Crosier.
Jones had a double, a three-run home run in the seventh, three RBIs and two runs scored. Grant collected a double and a triple along with scoring a pair of runs.
Bulldog pitcher Alyssa Kraemer got the loss. She pitched four innings, allowing six runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks.
Stars pitcher Zoe Adams improved her record to 9-0. In five innings of work, Adams yielded two runs (both earned) on seven hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 7, NEW ALBANY 5
Bedford NL           200 410 0-7   9 0
New Albany           200 000 3-5 11 5
W – Zoe Adams (9-0). L – Alyssa Kraemer (2-1). 2B – Marissa Jones (NA), Mariah Grant (NA). 3B – Grant (NA), Jenna Dufrense (BNL). HR – Jones (NA). 
Records – New Albany 3-4, Bedford North Lawrence 12-0.

Friday, April 14, 2017

BASEBALL: Bierman throws gem in Jeff’s 7-0 victory over Seymour

By KEVIN HARRIS
JEFFERSONVILLE – On Thursday evening at Don Poole Field, Jeffersonville ace pitcher Gabe Bierman showed why he is being recruited by Indiana University.
The Hoosier commit threw a five-hit shutout to lead the Red Devils to a 7-0 victory over Hoosier Hills Conference rival Seymour. Bierman (1-2) struck out 15 Owls in getting his first win of 2017. The lone walk he issued occurred in the seventh inning. Bierman threw 98 pitches.
“Gabe was good tonight. Gabe was very good,” Red Devil head coach Derek Ellis said. “He had 15 strikeouts. His curve ball was working. He was getting ahead of most of the hitters. We wanted him to finish it out because he was pitching really well.”
Bierman’s teammates gave him a nice cushion in the bottom of the second.
Jeff (2-3) scored four runs in the frame, all coming with two outs. Courtesy runner Nick Grider got the first run by coming home from third base on a passed ball.
Red Devil senior Mike Minton extended the lead to 2-0 with an opposite-field RBI double to right field, plating Hunter Schmitz from second. Two batters later, sophomore right fielder Drew Taylor collected a two-run single off Seymour starter Satoshi Hirose to increase the Jeff advantage to four runs.
“I’m more pleased with the approach we had at the plate,” Ellis said. “We talked about that a lot. We knew their pitcher was going to be throwing some off-speed stuff. We knew he wasn’t going to throw the fastball by us. But we had to change our approach and try to stay in the middle of the field with his off-speed stuff. We did a pretty good job of that.”
The Red Devils scored their final three runs in the bottom of the fifth versus Hirose. With two out, first baseman Ethan English smacked a double to knock in Jack Ellis. That was followed by second baseman Bailey Falkenstein scoring on a wild pitch and Schmitz coming home on a passed ball.
Taylor went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and English was 2-for-3. For the Owls (3-4), Alan Perry and Tyler Bloom each were 2-for-3. Hirose got the loss, allowing seven runs (five earned) on 10 hits. The right-hander struck out two and walked two.
Coach Ellis lauded the Red Devils’ performance, which he said was much better than when Bierman got the loss in a 5-1 setback to another HHC rival in Floyd Central on April 4.
“You’re playing your conference foe, so you want to come out and you want to play well,” the Jeff manager said. “We didn’t play well with Gabe against Floyd, and that stung a little bit. I was proud of all the guys, even the guys on the bench as well as the guys playing on how they approached the game and how they stayed in it mentally. (I was proud) of the way we approached it at the plate against their pitcher and how we played defense behind (Bierman). It was a really, really good win.”

JEFFERSONVILLE 7, SEYMOUR 0
Seymour         000 000 0-0   5 0
Jeff                  040 030 x-7 10 2
W – Gabe Bierman (1-2). L – Satoshi Hirose. 2B – Ethan English (J), Mike Minton (J).
Records – Jeff 2-3, Seymour 3-4.

BOYS’ HOOPS: Langford receives MaxPreps All-American honors

By KEVIN HARRIS
JEFFERSONVILLE – New Albany junior standout Romeo Langford has been named to two MaxPreps All-American teams.
The 6-foot-5 swingman has earned a spot on the 2016-17 MaxPreps Boys’ Basketball Junior All-American second team. On top of that, he has been named a fourth-team selection to the 2016-17 MaxPreps Boys’ Basketball All-American squad.
This is not the only two All-America teams Langford has made in 2017. Earlier this year, he was named a Naismith All-American.
Last season, Langford averaged 28.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.1 blocked shots per contest. He became New Albany’s all-time leading scorer in 2016-17.
Langford led the 25-4 Bulldogs to a fourth consecutive outright Hoosier Hills Conference championship and a fourth straight Class 4A Seymour Sectional title.
Langford made the All-HHC first team, the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Underclass Supreme 15 All-State squad and The Associated Press All-State first team. He received the most votes for the AP All-State teams for the second consecutive season. Langford also has been selected to the Indiana Junior All-Star team.

SOFTBALL: Jeff’s offense stays hot versus New Washington

By KEVIN HARRIS
NEW WASHINGTON – It has been a productive week on offense for the Jeffersonville Red Devils.
On Wednesday, Jeff improved its record to 5-4 with a convincing 22-2 victory at New Washington in five innings. This week, the Red Devils have outscored their two opponents 39-4. They won at Providence on Monday in five frames 17-2.
Sophomore Lizzy Coons was the leader of the Jeff bats. She went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, five RBIs and three runs scored.
Teammate Lindsey Nelson and Nan Garcia each went 2-for-3 with four RBIs. One of Garcia’s hits was homer. Also for Jeff, senior Juliette Schuur went 2-for-6 and Meghan Lay was 2-for-2 with a homer and five RBIs.
Red Devil senior Jennah Tincher was the winning pitcher. She gave up two earned runs on four hits in a complete-game outing. Tincher struck out three and walked none, upping her record to 3-2.
Jeff will host Lanesville at 5:30 p.m. Friday. New Washington will travel to Madison for a 5 p.m. first pitch Monday.

JEFFERSONVILLE 22, NEW WASHINGTON 2
Jeff                              (12)81 01-22 15 1
New Washington            011 00-  2   4 9
W – Jennah Tincher (3-2). 2B – Lizzy Coons (J). HR – Coons (J), Meghan Lay (J), Nan Garcia (J).
Records – Jeff 5-4.

BASKETBALL: Kentucky games for All-Star Series moved to new site

By KEVIN HARRIS
INDIANAPOLIS – The latter girls’ and boys’ games of the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star Series have been moved to the Frankfort (Ky.) Civic Center on Sunday, June 11. The girls’ game will tip off at 2 p.m., followed by the boys’ game at approximately 4 p.m.
Those games were originally scheduled to take place at Central Hardin High School in Elizabethtown, Ky.
The series for both genders will start Saturday, June 10 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The girls’ contest will tip off at 5 p.m., followed by the boys’ game at 7 p.m.
New Albany senior center Chyna Anthony will play for the Indiana Girls’ All-Stars. The Northern Kentucky University signee averaged 13.2 points per game last season for the 15-7 Bulldogs.

Thursday, April 13, 2017

BASEBALL: Bulldogs suffer another loss to rival Floyd 5-1

By KEVIN HARRIS
NEW ALBANY – New Albany dropped below the .500 mark Wednesday night at Mt. Tabor Field, as it lost to red-hot rival Floyd Central 5-1. It was the Highlanders’ fifth victory in a row and their ninth straight win over the Bulldogs.
New Albany’s lone run came in the bottom of the second inning. Trailing 2-0, Christian Sifers smacked a solo home run to pull the Bulldogs (4-5) within one run. But Floyd Central (6-3) answered by scoring a run in the third and two runs in the sixth.
New Albany collected just four hits. Half of those knocks came from Jacob Mullins, who went 2-for-3 with a double. Dylan Clark had the Bulldogs’ other hit, which was a single.
New Albany left-hander Ryan Robison was the losing pitcher as his record fell to 1-2. In five innings of work, Robison gave up three runs on six hits and a walk. He struck out four.
Aaron Brown led the Highlanders at the plate, going 3-for-3 with an RBI. Teammate Kellen Northam went 2-for-2 with a triple and three RBIs. Floyd Central’s Max Baumann ended up 2-for-4 with a double.
The Highlanders’ Chase Stepp got the win on the mound. He surrendered one run on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. Stepp issued four walks and fanned two.
New Albany will travel to Class 3A No. 3 Jasper at noon Saturday. Floyd Central will host North Harrison at 6 p.m. Friday.

NEW ALBANY ANNOUNCES MAKE-UP DATES
New Albany has rescheduled two games that recently got postponed because of rain.
The Bulldogs will make up their home contest with Hoosier Hills Conference rival Madison at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 5.
New Albany’s postponed home game with Borden has been rescheduled for 5 p.m. on Monday, May 22.

FLOYD CENTRAL 5, NEW ALBANY 1
Floyd Central           021 002 0-5 10 1
New Albany              010 000 0-1   4 1
W – Chase Stepp (2-1). L – Ryan Robison (1-2). 2B – Max Baumann (FC), Braxton Cerqueira (FC), Jacob Mullins (NA). 3B – Kellen Northam (FC). HR – Christian Sifers (NA).
Records – Floyd Central 6-3, New Albany 4-5.

BOYS’ TRACK: Red Devils second in last weekend’s Inferno meet

By KEVIN HARRIS
JEFFERSONVILLE – Jeffersonville finished second in the annual Jeffersonville High School Inferno meet last weekend at Blair Field, scoring 94 points. Evansville Harrison took first place with 168 points.
Red Devil senior Tony Cappola won the pole vault competition with a height of 14 feet, 6 inches. Cappola signed a letter of intent earlier this week to compete in track next season at Vincennes University.
Teammate Dayna Overton placed first in the shot put with a top throw of 49-1 ½. Jeff’s Victor Dailey was the winner in the high jump. The Red Devils’ 3,200-meter relay team placed second.
“Evansville Harrison was obviously the better team this weekend. But our young squad will continue to improve and hopefully win some meets along the way,” Jeff head coach Mark Felix said.
Floyd Central finished third with 80 points. Silver Creek was sixth with 52 points and Providence ended up seventh with 46 points.
The Red Devils will compete in the New Albany Relays on Thursday. The meet will start at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

IN-SEASON REPORT – JEFF SOFTBALL: New head coach trying to instill confidence in Red Devils

By KEVIN HARRIS
JEFFERSONVILLE - Jeffersonville head coach Mike Coons likes the experienced players and the talented underclassmen he has inherited in his first season at the Red Devil helm.
Now, it is just a matter of instilling confidence into a team that is coming off a 7-9 record last season that lost 11-0 to Jennings County in the first round of the Class 4A Seymour Sectional.
“They’ve got to believe in themselves,” said Coons, who replaces former New Albany standout and ex-University of Louisville player Chelsea Jordan. “We have an experienced team. I’ve been preaching to them about changing the mentality of Jeff softball. We’re trying to teach the girls confidence and how to win games.
“If we can keep playing the way we can, we can compete with anybody.”
The Red Devils (4-4) have shown in a few games this season they have improved and are a more-confident bunch. They have posted victories over two Louisville teams in Manual (6-5) and Assumption (13-6). Jeff also defeated a Fishers squad 5-3 on April 1 that won a Class 4A sectional title last season.
Coons thinks if Jeff is to continue to be a competitive squad, it must be sound defensively. He says he does not have a true No. 1 pitcher in his rotation, so Red Devil fielders must make the plays to help keep Jeff in games.
“My goals and expectations are to be a solid defensive team (by season’s end) because we don’t have a stellar pitching staff,” Coons said. “We can be explosive and aggressive on offense.”
Coons is relying on the four seniors on his roster to provide leadership. The seniors are outfielder Amy Steinmetz, pitcher and first baseman Jennah Tincher, first baseman Kaylee Strong and outfielder Juliette Schuur.
The junior class also is expected to make contributions in second baseman and shortstop Faith Denig, third baseman Lindsey Nelson, pitcher and third baseman Mackenzie Brockwell and outfielder Meghan Lay.
Coons has a couple of talented sophomores on his roster in pitcher and first baseman Lizzy Coons, who is his daughter, and catcher Casey Schweitzer. Both players made the all-Hoosier Hills Conference team last season. Two other Red Devils who are expected to be key players the rest of the season are sophomore outfielder Cassidy Bott and freshman shortstop Nan Garcia.
Mike Coons has one word to describe Jeff’s schedule – “tough.”
The Red Devils will have games next week against HHC foes Floyd Central and Class 4A No. 5 Bedford North Lawrence. They will host archrival and conference foe New Albany on Monday, April 24. After that, Jeff will face formidable opponents in Silver Creek, Louisville Mercy and Louisville Male.
The Jeff head coach thinks Floyd Central is the team to beat in the HHC Tournament and the Class 4A Floyd Central Sectional.

SOFTBALL: Floyd Central cruises past rival New Albany 11-3

By KEVIN HARRIS
FLOYDS KNOBS – New Albany saw its two-game winning streak end Tuesday at archrival Floyd Central, suffering an 11-3 loss. The Bulldogs (3-3) managed just four hits against Highlander pitchers Lexie Heeke and Abby Letson.
Junior Erikah Crosier put New Albany up 1-0 in the top of the first inning with an RBI double that plated Marissa Jones. But Floyd Central (9-5) responded with four runs in the bottom half and three in the bottom of the second to go up 7-1.
Bulldog sophomore Terah Crosier pulled the Bulldogs within four runs in the top of the third by smacking a two-run home run over the left-field fence. The Highlanders, though, plated three runs in the bottom half to increase their lead to 10-3. Floyd Central tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth.
New Albany’s other two hits were singles by Jones and Mariah Grant. Jones scored twice.
Bulldog starter Bri Schoenfeld went the distance in picking up the loss. The sophomore threw six innings, yielding 11 runs (10 earned) on 16 hits. Schoenfeld walked two and struck out one.
Senior Jensen Striegel and Jenna Endris each led the Highlander bats, both going 3-for-4. Striegel scored three runs and drove in one. Endris had two runs scored.
Collecting two hits for Floyd Central were Heeke, Taylor Castleberry, Dallas Henderson and Cassie Thomerson. Heeke and Henderson each collected two RBIs.
Heeke earned the victory in a starting role, improving her record to 5-1. She surrendered three runs (all earned) on four hits, fanning four and walking three. Letson pitched two perfect innings in relief with two strikeouts.
The Bulldogs will host Class 4A No. 5 Bedford North Lawrence at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The Highlanders’ next game will be against LaGrange (Ohio)-Keystone at 6 p.m. Friday at Louisville Male.

FLOYD CENTRAL 11, NEW ALBANY 3
New Albany               100 200 0-   3  4 3
Floyd Central            430 301 x-11 16 2
W – Lexie Heeke (5-1). L – Bri Schoenfeld (1-2). S – Abby Letson. 2B – Erikah Crosier (NA), Heeke (FC). HR – Terah Crosier (NA).
Records – New Albany 3-3, Floyd Central 9-5.

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

SOFTBALL: Red Devils cruise past Providence in five 17-2

By KEVIN HARRIS
CLARKSVILLE – Jeffersonville snapped a two-game losing streak Monday by rolling past host Providence in five innings 17-2.
The Red Devils (4-4) had five multihit players and took advantage of seven Pioneer errors. Senior Kaylee Strong went 2-for-2 with a double and three RBIs, while junior Lindsey Nelson was 2-for-3 with three runs scored.
Jeff sophomore Lizzy Coons wound up 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs. Red Devil junior Faith Denig was 2-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored, and teammate Meghan Lay went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and two stolen bases.
Red Devil junior pitcher Mackenzie Brockwell got the win in her first appearance of the season. Brockwell pitched four innings, allowing one run (earned) on three hits. She struck out two and walked a pair of Pioneers.
Providence starter Hannah Wolford got the loss. Senior Mia Fougerousse scored both Pioneer runs.
Jeff will play at New Washington at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Providence will travel to South Central at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

JEFFERSONVILLE 17, PROVIDENCE 2
Jeff                    611 90-17 10  1
Providence       100 01-  2   4  7
W – Mackenzie Brockwell (1-0). L – Hannah Wolford. 2B – Kaylee Strong (J), Lizzy Coons (J).
Records – Jeff 4-4. 

Monday, April 10, 2017

BASEBALL: Cochrum takes pitchers’ duel to give Jeff its first win 1-0

By KEVIN HARRIS
JEFFERSONVILLE – After competing in an intense pitchers’ duel with Austin’s Drew Buhr on Saturday at Don Poole Field, Jeffersonville starter Jacob Cochrum came out smelling like a rose.
Cochrum pitched a two-hit shutout to lead the Red Devils to their first victory of the season 1-0. The senior right-hander struck out 11 Eagles and walked none. Cochrum retired the final nine batters he faced as he handed Class 2A No. 4 Austin (6-1) its first loss of the season.
Cochrum did an efficient job of mixing his fastball, curve and change-up to keep Austin hitters off-balance. The Eagles’ two hits were a double by catcher Gavin Napier and a single by right fielder Peyton Hollan.
“Jacob does a really good job with all of his pitches,” Jeff head coach Derek Ellis said. “He doesn’t throw it extremely hard. But his curveball and his change-up are really, really good and he throws them for strikes consistently. We’ve seen a lot of that out of Jacob over the years. We just want to find a way to get him some more runs and a little more breathing room instead of having him go out there and grind it out and work as hard as he’s working.”
Despite earning his first loss of 2017, Buhr put on his own solid performance on the hill.
The right-hander surrendered one earned run on three hits. He posted seven strikeouts and issued three walks.
“He obviously pitched great in my opinion,” Ellis said. “He was doing the things that he needed to do and his offense didn’t produce for him. Really, it was going to come down to who was going to score first.”
The biggest mistake Buhr made was a solo home run to Jeff second baseman Gabe Bierman over the left-field fence to lead off the bottom of the second.
“You don’t expect Bierman to hit the ball out of the ballpark,” Ellis said. “But he’s got some pop. When he hits it, he does hit it hard.”
Red Devil shortstop Bailey Falkenstein was the only player to have a multihit game, going 2-for-3 against Buhr. Both of Falkenstein’s hits were singles.
Jeff tried to get something going on offense in both the fourth and sixth innings. But in each of those frames, Napier threw out a Red Devil trying to steal second base with one out.
“We didn’t make adjustments at Floyd Central (in a 5-1 loss last Tuesday). We didn’t make adjustments in this game,” Ellis said. “They were pounding (pitches) away, away, away from us and we kept the bats on our shoulders instead of going ahead and trying to do something with that pitch. We take it and we get into a hole and now we’re at the mercy of (Buhr’s) curveball. The kid’s curveball was pretty good. He threw it in the dirt consistently around the plate and you had to swing at it.
“We have to be better at the plate in making adjustments. Right now, we’re just not a very good offensive team.”
Even though his team’s offense is not where he wants it to be, Ellis was glad to get win No. 1 of the season.
“We’re very happy with the win,” Ellis said. “We would’ve liked to play a little bit better. But like I told the guys on the mound after the game, we’re not going to complain about it. We’re going to take it and we’re going to run with it.”
Jeff (1-3) will host Seymour at 6 p.m. Thursday. Austin will travel to Corydon Central at 6 p.m. Monday.

JEFFERSONVILLE 1, AUSTIN 0
Austin      000 000 0-0 2 2
Jeff           010 000 x-1 3 1
W – Jacob Cochrum (1-0). L – Drew Buhr (2-1). 2B – Gavin Napier (A). HR – Gabe Bierman (J).
Records – Jeff 1-3, Austin 6-1.

Sunday, April 9, 2017

BASEBALL: New Albany goes 1-1 in split twinbill at Seymour

By KEVIN HARRIS
SEYMOUR – After dropping its opener in a split doubleheader Saturday at American Legion Field, New Albany bounced back by scoring four runs in the final two innings to defeat host Seymour in the second game 5-1.
The Bulldogs (4-4) lost the first game to Lowell (Mich.) 12-6. New Albany will return to action at 6 p.m. Tuesday, hosting Hoosier Hills Conference rival Madison at Mt. Tabor Field.
LOWELL (Mich.) 12, NEW ALBANY 6
Trailing 3-1 after three innings, Lowell proceeded to plate a combined 11 runs in the next four frames to go up 12-3 in the middle of the seventh.
Bulldog starter Chase Rudy was the losing pitcher, dropping his record to 0-3. He pitched five innings, surrendering five runs (four earned) on eight hits. Rudy struck out five and issued no walks. The New Albany defense did not provide Rudy and the rest of its pitching staff much support, as it committed four errors.
Despite earning the loss on the mound, Rudy had a productive game at the plate by going 3-for-4. Teammate Ryan Robison was 2-for-4 and New Albany’s Zach Hubbard collected two RBIs.
NEW ALBANY 5, SEYMOUR 1
Robison, teammate Steven Thom and Bulldog starter Logan Charbonneau were primarily responsible for helping New Albany rebound in the nightcap.
With the score tied at one, the Bulldogs took the lead for good with two runs in the top of the sixth. Robison extended the New Albany advantage to four runs in the seventh by smacking a two-run home run.
Robison ended up going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Thom was 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles.
Charbonneau tossed a two-hitter in improving his record to 2-0. The right-hander allowed one run (unearned) and one walk in his complete-game effort. He recorded five strikeouts.
Seth Maki collected both of Seymour’s hits, going 2-for-3. Owl pitcher Tyler Bloom picked up the loss. Bloom surrendered three runs (all earned) on 10 hits, fanning three and walking none.

LOWELL (Mich.) 12, NEW ALBANY 6
Lowell               010 313 4-12 15 1
New Albany     210 000 3-  6 10 4
W – DeVoest. L – Chase Rudy (0-3). 2B – B. Dowman (L), Perry (L), Wosinski (L), Hockstedt (L), Dylan Clark (NA). 3B – Malone (L). HR – Melle (L).
Records – Lowell (Mich.) 3-1, New Albany 3-4.

NEW ALBANY 5, SEYMOUR 1
New Albany     010 002 2-5 12 3
Seymour           100 000 0-1   2 2
W - Logan Charbonneau (2-0). L - Tyler Bloom. 2B - Steven Thom 2 (NA). HR - Ryan Robison (NA).
Records - New Albany 4-4, Seymour 2-3.

SOFTBALL: Red Devils lose at HHC foe Seymour 7-2

By KEVIN HARRIS
SEYMOUR – Jeffersonville suffered a 7-2 loss Saturday at Hoosier Hills Conference rival Seymour.
Red Devil pitcher Jennah Tincher got the loss. The senior yielded five runs (all earned) on six hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings. Teammate Lizzy Coons pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowing two runs (both unearned) on two hits. Coons struck out four.
Both Jeff pitchers did not get much help from their defense, which committed four errors.
Two Red Devils had multihit games. Junior Lindsey Johnson went 2-for-3 with a run scored, and senior Kaylee Strong wound up 2-for-4.
Jeff (3-4) will visit Providence at 5 p.m. Monday.

SEYMOUR 7, JEFFERSONVILLE 2
Jeff                010 010 0-2 7 4
Seymour       221 002 x-7 8 3
L – Jennah Tincher (2-2). 2B – Casey Schweitzer (J).
Records – Jeff 3-4, Seymour 3-1.