Bussard fans 14, but John Glenn’s Thomas blanks Valley for first regional crown

Threlkel has 2 hits for Lady Vikings

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

The Tippecanoe Valley softball team celebrates with the trophy following their 3-1 win over Fairfield in the Class 3A, Sectional 20 final at NorthWood May 28. The sectional title was the third in school history. Valley’s season ended with a 1-0 loss to visiting John Glenn in a Class 3A regional Tuesday. The Lady Vikings finished 15-10.

Softball

John Glenn 1, Tippecanoe Valley 0 (Tuesday): Dalynne Bussard twirled a three-hitter with 14 strikeouts, but the host Lady Vikings lost to John Glenn in a Class 3A regional Tuesday.

Payton Thomas drove in the game’s lone run on a sacrifice foul fly in the top of the sixth. It scored Mia Wilton, who led off the inning with a single and went to second on a passed ball. After Sophia Lizzi walked, Wilton advanced to third on another passed ball.

Thomas then lofted a foul fly to left that Temperance Caudill caught. Wilton tagged up and scored.

Valley had a baserunner on Kahlyn Manns’ one-out single in the sixth, but Kaitlyn Threlkel and Malaynie Costello both flew out to left field to end the inning.

Gaby Gonzalez singled with two outs in the seventh, but Emma Thomas struck out Makenzey Morton to end the game.

The only inning in which Valley got a runner into scoring position was the second. Threlkel and Costello started the inning with back-to-back singles, and Caudill moved the runners to second and third on a sacrifice bunt.

Emma Thomas responded by striking out Minda Shriver and getting Gonzalez to foul out to the catcher.

Threlkel finished with two hits.

Bussard gave up a single to Wilton to lead off the game but retired the next six batters. She retired the side in order in the second, fourth, fifth and seventh innings. 

In the third, Emma Thomas led off with a single and courtesy runner Emma Bryant stole second. Two batters later, Bryant held at second when Wilton reached on an error. Lizzi then flew out to Manns in center, and Payton Thomas lined out to KC Shriver at short.

John Glenn came in averaging 9.2 runs per game. In this game, they had five baserunners. 

Payton Thomas came in with a batting average over .460 and 13 homers, which put her in a tie for 10th in the state. Against Bussard, she went 0 for 3, but she ultimately drove in the game’s lone run.

Emma Thomas pitched a five-hitter with no walks and five strikeouts. She threw 92 pitches.

She came into the game with a 3.56 ERA.

Regional champions for the first time, John Glenn will face East Noble in a semistate semifinal at Twin Lakes Saturday.

Valley has never won a softball regional.

Bussard, Gonzalez, Manns and KC Shriver are the team’s four seniors.

John Glenn 1, Tippecanoe Valley 0

John Glenn 000 001 0 – 1 3 1

Valley 000 000 0 – 0 5 1

WP – Emma Thomas (7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)

LP – Dalynne Bussard (7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 14 K)

XBH – (none)