Eagles sunset Shiners in regional thriller

Some time after Rising Sun arrived at Schickel Field in Lanesville last Tuesday, falling rain wasn't far behind.

After both sides got through their pregame warmups, a torrential downpour cooled any efforts of softball being played as the field resembled a swamp within minutes of the scheduled 6 p.m. first pitch. That prompted the game to be postponed until the following evening.

While there were threats of rain in the area prior to the rescheduled matchup, the skies remained relatively pleasant as both squads vied for a spot in last Saturday's semi-state. Runs and hits were a bit of a commodity as Lanesville's senior ace Morgan Sonner dueled with Rising Sun freshman Elaina Titkemeyer.

While youth powered the Lady Shiners through the 2023 season, it was Lanesville's experience that prevailed as a complete game from Sonner was lifted by a late go-ahead home run by junior catcher Ellie Schneider to propel the Class 1A No. 6 Lady Eagles to a tight 4-3 victory.

"It felt great; it was a team effort because we have a great group of girls," Lanesville head coach Steve Sonner said. "(Rising Sun)'s got a great young pitcher and catcher, good ballplayers."

The Lady Eagles took advantage of some youthful jumpiness on the Lady Shiners’ part in the bottom of the first, beginning when shortstop Quinlynn Cunningham reached on an error. After moving to second on an Izzy Rawlings’ grounder and going to third on a passed ball, Cunningham came home after a Schneider grounder turned into the Lady Shiners’ second miscue of the inning.

Felicity Cunningham followed with a single before both she and Schneider advanced into scoring position on an error by Rising Sun second baseman Hannah Kremer. Sonner followed with a safety squeeze to bring Schneider home for an early 2-0 Lanesville lead.

Alyssa Simpson got things started for the visitors in the top of the second with a line drive to the left-field corner for a lead-off double. With one out, a liner by Titkemeyer popped in and out of the glove of Lanesville second baseman Izzy Rawlings, allowing Simpson to score on the error.

Two innings later, Ryan Works, the Lady Shiners’ standout freshman catcher, took the second pitch she saw from Sonner far over the center-field fence for a lead-off home run, knotting the contest at two in the process.

After being kept off the scoreboard from the second inning onward, the hosts hoped to keep their season alive as Felicity Cunningham led off the bottom of the sixth with a single.

While known for her speed, she needed to only jog home after Schneider crushed an outside pitch over the right-centerfield wall for a two-run go-ahead blast, driving the Lanesville faithful wild as the Lady Eagles took a 4-2 edge.

"It was an outside pitch, but I’ve been seeing outside pitches all night long," Schneider said of the eventual winning hit. "Coach (Bill) Pierce told me to scoot in and take the corner away. I didn't think it was gonna go over. Once I rounded second, it was like a purple sea of emotion; everyone was cheering. Steve (Sonner) was cheering ... When I realized that it went over, it was something that I’ve been working for, and it finally happened."

"It was a sweet moment for her because she's pretty much the engine to our team; she's a good leader as a junior," Sonner said of Schneider.

The Lady Shiners appeared to have a late rally in their bones as well when Tamryn Miller led off the top of the seventh with a bloop single to center. Titkemeyer followed with a line drive that was scooted by Lady Eagles’ junior center fielder Ava Kerr to cut the deficit to one. While Sonner struck out Kremer for the first out, Sidney Halloran moved the tying run to third on a bunt single, causing the purple-clad spectators’ breaths to shorten.

Sonner wasn't prepared for the season to end just yet, however, mustering one last wind to strike out both Emma Russell and Nora Powell. Lanesville fans were left breathless for a new reason as the Lady Eagles clinched the regional title, their fifth in program history, with a dramatic 4-3 victory.

"I think I aged 10 years," coach Sonner joked. "I was hoping that we could hang on and find a way. I thought about making a pitching change, but I decided to just roll with it."

"I was getting nervous, but I tried not to show it so I could keep everyone calm," Morgan Sonner said. "I was able to keep my composure, and Ellie helped me stay focused. I did not want to come out."

Sonner took the win after managing a complete game, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out seven. Titkemeyer took the loss despite going the distance, allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits, striking out a pair in the process.

Works led the Lady Shiners with their only earned run on her solo shot in the fourth, while Simpson, Miller, Titkemeyer and Halloran each added a hit.

Schneider's dramatic two-run shot was part of a day where she drove in three runs and scored twice. Sonner was responsible for the Lady Eagles’ fourth RBI of the evening.

"This is something we’ve worked for our entire lives, something that we’ve worked hard for, especially myself and Morgan have worked for this for so long," Schneider said.

The Lady Eagles concluded their post-season run at the North Daviess semi-state semifinals on Saturday, falling to Indianapolis Lutheran 8-2. (See story on B3.)

Rising Sun 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 3 5 3

Lanesville 2 0 0 0 0 2 X 4 4 2

WP: Sonner (L) (17-2); LP: Titkemeyer (RS) (8-4); 2B: Simpson (RS); HR: Works (RS); Schneider (L).

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