No.10 Softball splits with No.9 Castle, No.21 Noblesville at Carmel Invite

By Keelen Barlow 

No.10 Brownsburg traveled to the Carmel Inviational April 23 and picked up a 12-2 win over No.9 Castle. The Bulldogs fell 5-3 to No.21 Noblesville in the second half of the doubleheader. Brownsburg sits at 9-3 on the year (2-0 in HCC) and closes the weekend tomorrow at 3 PM against No.16 Pendleton Heights.

Junior Kelsey Endress struck out 13 batters as the Bulldogs run-ruled No.9 Castle to open the evening. Endress, who also hit a grand slam in the bottom of the third that gave the Bulldogs a 6-1 lead, has 30 strikeouts to go with 3 home runs and 8 RBI over the last two days. Senior Kiersten Huff also put up a strong 2-for-4 showing with 4 RBI against the Knights. 

Brownsburg dug out of a 1-0 hole to score nine unanswered runs in the game. Huff singled to right and scored the first two runs of the night for Brownsburg. Endress stepped to the plate four-at bats later and sent the grand slam over the right field fence. 

Huff and Grace Mendenhall helped Brownsburg mount a 9-2 lead after three more runs in the fourth. Grace Mendenhall capped off the run-rule victory with a walk-off three run homer to centerfield, her second homer in as many nights. 

The Bulldogs dropped a 5-3 contest with Noblesville in Game 2. Mendenhall, Kaylee Larkin and Addy Neal each had RBI in the loss to the Millers. 

Brownsburg fought to close a 4-1 deficit in the game and the Bulldogs brought across two runs in the top of the fourth. The Bulldogs put six runners on base over the final two innings but Noblesville was able to hang on for the win. 

Senior Maddy Edwards threw 3.2 scoreless relief innings to close out the loss. She hasn't allowed a run over her last three appearances in the circle.