Castle softball completes 3-peat with 4A sectional championship victory
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EVANSVILLE — The game plan has never changed over the decades.
Ask Castle coach Pat Lockyear what it takes to win in high school softball, and he'll point to the pitcher's circle. Every championship team, no matter the level, is typically defined by who has the best stuff 43 feet from home plate. That meant two or even three arms some years for the Knights.
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Not this week. Castle realistically only needed one. The result was another trophy.
The Knights defeated Reitz 7-0 to win the Class 4A sectional championship on Thursday at North High School. It is the third straight title for Castle, a rare feat even for one of the stronger programs historically in Southern Indiana. Over the course of two games, the Knights allowed a total of zero runs.
"It's an old saying," Lockyear said. "If they don't score, they can't win. We did a better job pitching the last two games. We played good defense and didn't kick the ball around. Unless you've got a stud, people are relying on more than one pitcher. We didn't have to do that."
There are multiple reasons why I’m I Castle (22-6-1) advanced beyond the first weekend. It starts with Bailey Gravens.
The senior posted a clean sheet over 13 innings during the sectional. First was a one-hit, nine-strikeout effort against North in the semifinal (Ella Pickard pitched a perfect seventh inning during the 10-0 victory). Gravens produced another quality start in the championship: six hits surrendered but no runner allowed past second base.
Reitz (10-16) was 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. A much different outcome after producing 12 hits and nine runs in a high-scoring loss to Castle on April 30. Ella Morton and Aiyana Cooper had two hits apiece for Reitz.
"Everything was working well," Gravens said. "I did a good job of mixing my pitches, going inside and outside. Our team has worked together super well and have a super good connection. We all trust each other."
The other factor was the third inning. Castle erupted for five runs behind a mix of offense – multiple infield singles sandwiched by a pair of loud hits from the top of the order. Indiana signee Emma Bruggenschmidt started the scoring with a two-run double to left. Lily Greenwell slapped a two-run double past first base two batters later. Ella Pickard added a two-out single to score another.
The Knights plated a pair in the fifth on two Panthers errors, for good measure. Good things typically happen when the offense consistently puts the ball in play. Greenwell had four hits (two for extra bases) in the semifinal victory. Bruggenschmidt was 3-for-4 in the championship, highlighted by her third double of the week.
"It's kind of fundamental," Lockyear said. "We needed to be a better bunting team this year. We had two punts (in the third inning). It's critical. The bottom of the order started that rally. People at the top came through with some big hits."
Castle has won 18 sectional championships since 1993, the most by any Southern Indiana Athletic Conference program by a healthy margin. All under Lockyear's command. It's still never easy or expected to win three in a row. The Knights had previously done so twice in program history: 2003-05, 2010-12.
The fields have changed (remember when Gibson Southern, Jasper, and Central competed in 4A), but never the difficulty. Castle won a single title between 2015 and 2021. It now has four of the last five.
"The consistency of it is tough," Lockyear said. "Reitz gave Barr-Reeve its only loss this year. They were more than capable (of winning). Reitz played a really tough game. The pitcher was really good. You can throw records out when talking about the sectional. That's why it's so hard to win this.
The latest championship is impressive, considering the talent level (at least seven college-bound athletes) that exited over the previous two years. All Castle did was win 20-plus games and earn a share of the SIAC title. A pair of losses to Barr-Reeve and Tecumseh, both ranked in the top three of their respective classes, at the end of the regular season offered a much-needed dose of focus.
Next up is Seymour, which upset No. 7 Floyd Central in Sectional 15 and in the 4A regional at Lockyear Field on Tuesday.
"We have figured out our roles," Bruggenschmidt said. "We continue to put in hard work. No matter who comes in, someone always has a place to fill and a place to get better. Each day at practice, we continue to grow."
Kyle Sokeland is a sports reporter for the Courier & Press. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @kylesokeland or email at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Castle earns third straight IHSAA softball sectional championship