They may not hit an outstanding number of home
runs, but one way or another, the varsity softball
Hounds find ways to have runners cross home plate. They’ll have to if they plan to continue with a winning tradition and advance in the State tournament, Head Coach Jim Fox said.

Combining forces
Instead of hitting the ball over the fence, the Blue and Gold will count on manufacturing runs this year rather than having them come with one single swing of the bat. In any case Fox said he is mainly concerned with quality at bats that will put runners in scoring position.
Fox described this year’s squad as neither offensively nor defensively dominant. He said his team doesn’t have its strength on one side of the game, but rather it is a well-rounded unit of players.
Fox’s players would agree that the Hounds will not overpower an opponent offensively, yet they see themselves as more than capable of putting runs on the board as well as play solid defense. “We do have a lot of good hitters, but we also have people that can bunt when we need to and get the runners advanced,” senior Courtney Bricker said.
“I think we will have people step up offensively,” senior Stephanie Nagy said. “We’re a well-rounded team.”

Fighting a tough road
Despite being ranked sixth in the sate in the coaches’ pre-season poll, success will not come easily this year with the Hounds’ schedule that includes two other teams ranked in the Top 10 in Class 3A: Center Grove (third) and Lafayette Jefferson (tied for 10th). They will battle the Trojans away May 8 and Lafayette Jeff on May 10 away as well. Confirming what Fox already had said about this year’s opponents, Nagy said, “(Our schedule) has really been beefed up this year. There aren’t any games we can take lightly.”
“We’re going to have to work at (being successful),” Bricker said. At the same time Bricker also said she’d advise her teammates to not let the pressure of having to work hard get to them. “Relax and have fun. Take it one pitch at a time,” she said.
Although all but two of her teammates are underclassmen, Bricker said she is confident in their ability to put up good games in spite of the lack of preparation and the weather. “They know what it takes,” Bricker said.
“They’re going to fill in the gaps and step up to the challenge,” Nagy said of the underclassmen.

Starting the season
“Personally I felt less prepared,” Bricker said of the first game of the year against Avon on March 19. The Blue and Gold claimed that match-up 4-0. Juniors Lindsey McNaughton and Jessie Campbell combined for a no-hitter. On the offensive side, Nagy went two for three at the plate and added two runs batted in. The junior varsity squad defeated Avon 7-0.
Over spring break players will receive a list of activities to keep their skills sharp for the long haul of the season after vacation, Nagy said. The activities include such things as work outs and drills.
Last Tuesday the Hounds took on Bishop Chatard in the first home contest of the year at Cherry Tree Elementary School.The varsity squad was victorious and won its second game of the season 2-1. McNaughton went two for two at the plate and batted in two runs, aiding her team in the victory. The JV squad also beat Bishop Chatard 10-1. The Hounds take on North Central April 10 in their second of four games at home in a row.