Bartlett Hits Game Winner

Wednesday night the varsity softball team got an outstanding win in dramatic fashion against Decatur Central for Shayne Zoller's senior night.  The Lady Bulldogs got off to a shaky start defensively, giving up three runs in the first, but they came back in the bottom of the opening inning to score four runs.  Tori Martin singled and was driven in by Krystal Shirrell.  Sarah Callis then singled to set up a three-run homer by Kirsten Bartlett to pull ahead of the Hawks.  The Dogs came from behind again in the third, scoring one on a Zoller sacrifice fly and two more on another Martin single to go ahead 8-5.  The girls later caught up to the Hawks again in the fifth on another Zoller RBI to knot the score at 9-9.  Then, down by three going into the sixth, hits by Shirrell, Bartlett, and Alex Shipley set up a Chelsea Conover RBI to bring the team within one run.  In a clutch performance in the bottom of the seventh and down a run, Martin singled to set up a sacrifice bunt by Kayle Comer and a sac fly by Shirrell that resulted in pushing the tying run across the plate.  The girls were fired up going into extra innings and were able to hold the Hawks' offense with nice pitching by Comer and solid defense all around.  In the ninth, the Dogs couldn't be contained and scored the game-winner when Bartlett again came up big with a drive to the fence to plate Krystal Shirrell and get the hard-fought win.  The girls travel to Crawfordsville to defend their title in the invitational before taking on eleventh ranked Ben Davis in the opening round of Sectionals.  Wish the girls luck as they look to continue their winning ways going into post-season play.