Cripe fans 15, but North Newton beats Pioneer in sectional semis

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Hailey Cripe pitched a three-hitter with 15 strikeouts, but the top-ranked Pioneer softball team lost 1-0 to No. 9 North Newton in a Class 2A, Sectional 34 semifinal at North Judson Wednesday.

Kamryn Newby and Kylie Attinger each had a single for Pioneer. Freshman Sydney Rainford pitched a two-hitter with 16 strikeouts for the Lady Spartans.

Pioneer finished 23-5. North Newton improved to 15-3 and will play No. 5 Boone Grove in the sectional final.

The loss was Pioneer’s first in a sectional game since 2015. Since then, Pioneer had won five sectionals, four regionals, three semistates and two state titles.

North Newton 1, Pioneer 0

North Newton 100 000 0 – 1

Pioneer 000 000 0 – 0

WP – Rainford (7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 16 K)

LP – Hailey Cripe (7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 15 K)