Hannah Haberstroh, right, sets the tone for an aggressive and potent Center Grove offense.
Daily Journal file photo
Four weeks ago, Center Grove’s softball team was ranked No. 1 in the state — and yet somehow on the brink of a much-needed makeover.
The Trojans had been getting by, pulling out one-run wins over Avon and Bedford North Lawrence during the penultimate week of April, before ascending into the top spot in the state coaches’ poll. But then, the bottom fell out.
With top pitcher Riley Henson done for the year — the Avon game was her last — Center Grove took back-to-back blowout losses at Roncalli (17-0) and New Palestine (10-0).
Over the past four weeks, though, the Trojans have figured it out, winning seven of their last eight regular-season games to take some much-needed momentum into sectional play — which begins today with a first-round game against Class 4A No. 9 Mooresville at Bloomington South.
Fifth-ranked Center Grove (22-5) outslugged the Pioneers 10-8 on May 11.
“There’s absolutely no doubt that we can score a bunch,” Trojans coach Alyssa Coleman said. “It’s very rare that we don’t score; I think that this season has shown that. We score in bunches.
“We have to be a defensively strong team, and we’ve got to go out and hit people — and with Riley or without Riley, that never changed. We need to do both of those things well.”
The defensive piece of the puzzle, means a bit more without Henson available. Freshmen Riley Fuhr and Aiyana Keown have been shouldering the pitching load in her absence, and neither possesses the same ability to mow through lineups; their respective strikeout rates are less than half what Henson’s was.
Over time, the two newcomers have learned to trust that the gloves behind them will do the job and they don’t have to rely on trying to whiff everyone. Fuhr’s five-inning gem in the Johnson County tournament final against Franklin — a 12-1 victory — served as an ideal blueprint for how the Trojans can keep winning without their ace.
Fuhr acknowledged that it took some time for her to find the discipline to pitch to contact.
“It takes a lot, because you also have to trust your defense a lot,” she said. “You can’t just think that you’re going to be able to shut it down on your own — because that just doesn’t happen. But the defense has been doing great; I think a lot of trust comes into it, and definitely a lot of work and making sure that you focus on hitting your spots and trusting everyone on the team.”
That trust, of course, extends over to the offensive side of things and trusting that the team will offer enough run support. Scoring hasn’t generally been an issue, however; even with those two shutout losses in late April, Center Grove enters the postseason averaging slightly less than eight runs per game.
A typically aggressive attitude on the basepaths has certainly helped. Center Grove has stolen 107 bases on the season, led by junior Hannah Haberstroh’s school-record 30. If the opposing defense gives an inch, the Trojans are taking 60 feet.
“That’s a lot of what Coleman has been pushing this year,” freshman infielder Brynn Meyer said. “Just pushing it on the bases, taking advantage of mistakes.”
Center Grove has fared well of late with that simplified strategy of making the routine plays in the field and putting constant pressure on opponents to do the same.
Late April might have hit the Trojans with an unwelcome wake-up call, but they’re up and alert right about now.
“It did (shake us up),” Meyer said of the team’s struggles, “but now that we got our defense locked down, I think we’re set.”
Time to find out if she’s right.
IF YOU GO
Class 4A Bloomington South Sectional
Today
Center Grove vs. Mooresville, 6 p.m.
Tuesday
Bloomington South vs. Center Grove/Mooresville, 6 p.m.
Greenwood vs. Martinsville/Bloomington North, 8 p.m.
Thursday
Championship, 6 p.m.
Class 4A Columbus North Sectional
Thursday
Franklin vs. East Central/Shelbyville, 6 p.m.
Whiteland vs. Columbus North, 8 p.m.
Friday
Championship, 7 p.m.
Class 3A Northview Sectional
Tuesday
Indian Creek vs. West Vigo/Owen Valley, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Championship, 5:30 p.m.
Class A Edinburgh Sectional
Tuesday
Edinburgh vs. Greenwood Christian, 5:30 p.m.
Thursday
Morristown vs. Edinburgh, 5:30 p.m.
Friday
Championship, 5:30 p.m.
Admission: $7 per session, $15 all sessions
