By SCOTT HUNT shunt@chronicle-tribune.com
Apr 25, 2025
Updated
What set up to be a pair of intense county-rivalry games to start the Central Indiana Conference baseball and softball seasons turned into routs Thursday at Eastbrook.
The Panthers hosted Madison-Grant on both fields and each school opened CIC play with a decisive victory under their belts.
Eastbrook took advantage of a pair of M-G errors in the first inning and scored three runs, which was more than enough for senior pitcher Carter Daugherty, who limited the Argylls to just four hits and one run through 5 1/3 innings. The Panthers scored six more runs in the bottom of the fifth and finished with an 11-1 triumph in six innings.
Eastbrook returned the generosity with three errors in the first inning of the softball game, which aided the Class 2A No. 7 Argylls in building a 9-0 lead. M-G also put up nine runs in the sixth and final frame of its 18-4 win.
“We didn’t expect to score nine runs in any inning, let alone the very first inning. It just kinda happened,” said M-G softball coach Travis Havens. “We hit the ball well, but then we were also aggressive on the bases and they threw the ball around a little bit, which helped us. We’ve done that to teams, we’ve got ahead in several games.
The Argylls pounded out 19 hits, including five doubles.
Junior Patricia VanMatre went 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBI. Senior Carley Holliday was 4-for-5 with a double, three RBI and three runs scored. Freshman Grace Wood was 4-for-4 with a double, three RBI and three runs scored. Senior Johnna Hiatt was 3-for-5 and junior Cayleigh Stitt was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Even after falling behind, 9-0 in the first, Eastbrook responded by scoring four runs before M-G could record an out and left the bases loaded at the end of the inning.
“You’re not gonna win too many games, no matter who you play, when you give up a nine-spot in the first inning,” said Eastbrook coach Harold Coates. “We did some things we haven’t done all year. If we can take something away that’s positive, all of the things we did can be corrected.
“Madison-Grant always does a very good job of putting the ball in play and forcing you to make the plays. Tonight we didn’t, you get down 9-0, it’s hard to get back against a team like that,” he added. “When things started going the way it went we maybe got into that thought of here we go again. We haven’t had the best of luck against that team. … We came back, got some runs and thought we were back in it, but our bats just didn’t get going again.”
Junior Ally Pumroy had two hits with a double for the Panthers. Junior Gracie Elliott had a double and two RBI. Junior Caleigh Perry had a single and an RBI while junior DeLanie Elliott and senior Randi Casto each had singles.
Eastbrook (6-4) hosts Eastern Saturday at 10 a.m. then returns to CIC play with visits from Blackford and Mississinewa Tuesday and Thursday for 5 p.m. games.
M-G (7-2) hosts Northwestern at 11 a.m. and North Miami at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, then travels to 2A No. 2 Alexandria on Tuesday for a key CIC showdown.
“As far as the CIC goes there’s no room for error, really, with some of the teams in our conference and how well they can play,” Havens said. “We feel like right now, we’re in first place in the conference and every game we play in the conference is essentially gonna be a conference championship game. We’ve got to clean some things up pitching-wise and defensively, if we can do that we might be tough to beat.”
On the baseball diamond, Daugherty issued a walk to M-G senior Xavier Yeagy to start the game and Luke Gilman dropped a bunt and moved the runner into scoring position.
However, with the count at 0-2 to Brock Barnhart, Daugherty spun and delivered a perfect throw to second baseman Blake Jacobs to pick Yeagy off second. He then painted a corner to strikeout Barnhart and the Panthers came in the dugout riding an early wave of momentum.
Malakai Luthy reached on an error to start Eastbrook’s first at-bat, which was followed by a single from Austin Mikel. Daugherty hit a hot shot to short stop that skipped into center field for M-G’s second error in three batters and bring home the first run. It also set the table for sophomore Kyler Hackman to deliver a two-RBI single to center with one out.
Daugherty retired the next eight batters he faced and allowed only singles to Barnhart and Brayson Martin. He finished with seven strikeouts and three walks.
“Carter, last year about midway through the season developed an arm that helped carry us through sectional. Early this year he got an increase in velo and was trying to do too much,” said Eastbrook coach Kris Holtzleiter. “His last start at Northfield he K’d 11 in six and his stuff was better tonight.
“They have a good lineup and he challenged them. He pitched great and that set tone. It was big that we got an early three spot to kind of stabilize it.”
Daugherty added, “I controlled the off speed and was getting ahead in counts so I could mix it up at the end of counts.”
Hackman finished a huge game by driving in the final two runs with a double in the sixth inning. He also had a bases-loaded double in Eastbrook’s six-run, sixth inning and finished 3-for-4 with seven RBI.
Mikel collected two hits while Jacobs had an RBI double.
Levi Nelson and Dylan Martin accounted for M-G’s only other hits. Barnhart drove in the Argylls run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.
“I told the guys early in the year, we have a very talented team but we have played with a lot of anxiety. We haven’t really seen what it looks like when it comes together,” Holtzleiter said. “The expectations, internally, they’ve held themselves to that but they’ve put too much pressure on themselves to be great at all times.
“Our whole purpose today was to come out and find out what our A-game looks like. We played as good a baseball game as we could have played. Madison-Grant is a talented team.”
Madison-Grant (6-3) hosts Marion Monday at 5 p.m. and goes to Alexandria on Tuesday.
Eastbrook (6-5) hosts Wabash at 10 a.m. Saturday and Blackford at 5 p.m. on Monday.