IHSAA Softball

1995-96 State Finals in Review

Turkey Run (26-1) capped a Cinderella season by coming back from a 4-0 deficit to defeat top-ranked and defending state champion Center Grove 11-7 to win the 12th annual IHSAA Softball championship June 15, 1996 at the Cherry Tree Softball Complex in Carmel.

Down 4-0 going into the bottom of the third inning, Turkey Run erupted for a state finals record 10 runs while sending 15 batters to the plate. The Warriors also tied a state championship game record with eight hits in one inning. The 18 combined runs by Turkey Run and Center Grove also tied a state finals record established in 1990 when Tipton defeated Pike Central 10-8.

It marks the first IHSAA state championship in any sport for Turkey Run, a 38-year-old Parke County consolidation of Bloomingdale, Green Township, Marshall and Tangier. The school is located at Marshall. With an enrollment of 208 students in four grades, Turkey Run is one of the smallest schools ever to win an IHSAA state championship. It's also the first IHSAA state title in any sport for a Parke County school.

Turkey Run rocked two Center Grove pitchers in its third-inning uprising in the championship game. Kim Newlin led the way with a single and a three-run triple in the inning, while Kendra Bosley's double provided the go-ahead run.

Center Grove finished the season 30-2 and with a two-year record of 63-3. The Trojans were bidding to become the first team in tournament history to win back-to-back titles.

Turkey Run advanced to the championship game by defeating Northridge, 10-0 in five innings via the 10-run rule in the semifinals. Center Grove had rallied with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Lake Central 5-4 in the first semifinals game.

Sarah Van Gorp, a senior at Lake Central was named the 1996 recipient of the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award in Softball. Van Gorp was the pitching mainstay for the Indians this season, finishing with a 14-1 record. A four-year starter, she compiled a career record of 45-4. Van Gorp also was a four-year starter in volleyball. Van Gorp ranked in the top 20 percent of her high school class. She will attend Lewis University and major in education. Farm Bureau Insurance, corporate sponsor of all IHSAA tournaments, will award a $1,000 scholarship in Van Gorp's name to Lake Central High School.

The championship game drew a paid crowd of 2,120, breaking the record of 1,845 set in 1995. The attendance for the semifinals and championship game combined was 3,719.

1996 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP BOX SCORE

Center Grove (7) Turkey Run (11)

	AB	R	H	RBI		AB	R	H	RBI
Sarah Humphrey, ss	4	1	3	2	Kim Newlin, cf	4	2	3	3
Jessie Aliff, cf	4	1	2	2	Melanie Newnum, rf	4	1	2	0
Adrienne Hedrick, dh	4	0	0	0	Adrianne Young, ss	4	2	4	1
Tricia Moore, lf	0	0	0	0	Julie Wooten, 1b	4	1	1	1
Natalie Johnson, c	4	0	0	0	Ariel Smith, dh	3	0	0	2
EllenTillman, rf	4	1	2	0	Stacey Newlin, p	0	0	0	0
Amanda Amick, 1b	3	1	1	0	Kendra Bosley, 3b	4	1	2	1
Jamie Kunstek, p	1	1	0	1	Carrie McKinney, 2b	3	0	1	0
Chrissy Boudi, 3b	2	1	1	2	Jessica Blake, pr	0	1	0	0
Venus Harmeyer, 2b	3	0	0	0	Lacy Query, c	2	1	0	0
Nikki Smith, p	2	1	1	0	Angie Crum, lf	2	2	0	0
Totals	31	7	10	7	Totals	30	11	13	8

Center Grove	0	2	2	0	3	0	0	--	7	10	3
Turkey Run	0	0	(10)	0	0	1	0	--	11	13	1

E -- Tillman, Moore, Johnson, Young. DP -- Center Grove. LOB -- Center Grove 4, Turkey Run 5. 2B -- Boudi, Aliff, Bosley, McKinney, K. Newlin, Young. 3B -- Young, K. Newlin. HR -- Aliff. WP -- Newlin. PB -- Johnson. Umpires -- Stephen Morris (Left Field), Steve Godfroy (First Base), Bob Dedaker (Right Field), John Hunter (Third Base), Al Guillen (Home Plate). Time of Game -- 1:42. Attendance -- 2,120 (championship game record).

Pitching Summary

	IP	R	ER	H	BB	SO
Kunstek (1-1)	2.1	6	6	7	0	4
N. Smith	3.2	5	3	6	0	0
Newlin (24-1)	7	7	5	10	1	1