In the longest state championship game in history, Monica Tepe scored from third on a ground ball single from Laurie Dieringer in the top of the 15^th inning to give Penn (27-8) its first IHSAA Softball state championship.

The Kingsmen made the run stand in the bottom of the 15^th as three straight Decatur Central (32-2) batters were retired in a 1-0 victory.

Tepe led off the 15^th inning with a liner to centerfield that was dropped for a two-base error. She moved to third on Lisa Mattison's single and scored on Dieringer's RBI single.

The game was punctuated by outstanding defensive plays and pitching for both teams.

Decatur Central had threatened in the bottom of the seventh when Mary Laugle led off with a triple. But Penn relief pitcher Missy Grover, who came on for starter Kristy Harjung after five innings, retired the next three batters to send the game into extra innings.

In the top of the 10^th, Brooke Biggs of Penn was thrown out at home to end the inning. With one out, Biggs reached base on an error, and advanced to second on an infield out. She attempted to score from second on a short single to leftfield by Laura Becker with two outs.

Decatur Central loaded the bases again with no outs in the bottom of the 14^th but couldn't score. Jesse Jones led off with a slashing double down the leftfield line. Desire Parsley then walked on four pitches. Sara Laugle, who already had three hits, was safe on an infield single to shortstop. A play at third left Jones safe and the bases loaded. The next batter, Brittany Park, hit into a fielder's choice and Jones was thrown out at home. Shanan Abney struck out to end the inning.

It was Penn's first softball state championship and eighth IHSAA title overall. Of those championships, all but one have come in the 1990s. The Kingsmen finished the season with a run of 44 consecutive scoreless innings, going back to the sectional.

Decatur Central, a 68-year-old consolidation located in the southwest corner of Marion County, was looking for its first IHSAA state title in any sport. The loss ended a 26-game winning streak for the Hawks.

Decatur Central pitcher Mary Blessing went the distance, striking out 14 Penn batters and issuing no walks. Penn's Missy Grover went the last 10 innings, striking out five, to earn the victory.

It was third 1-0 final of the day, following Morgan Township's 1-0 victory in Class A and Roncalli's 1-0 decision over Andrean. Prior to the 1999 state finals, there had been only one 1-0 game in state championship game history. In 1997, Merrillville edged Carmel 1-0 in the last single-class championship game.

Jesse Jones, a senior at Decatur Central High School, was chosen by the IHSAA Executive Committee as the 1999 recipient of the Mental Attitude Award in Class 3A softball.

Jones was the hero of Decatur Central's 5-3 semifinals victory over Boonville. Her crushing two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning provided the winning margin.

The standout catcher was a four-year letter winner for the Hawks, and the team's captain and MVP the past two seasons. She finished her high school career with 12 letters -- four each in softball, volleyball and basketball.

Academically, Jones ranked sixth in her graduating class of 310 students. She is a member of the National Honor Society, student council and was president of her sophomore class. She plans to attend Purdue University on a softball scholarship and major in biology.

Farm Bureau Insurance, corporate partner of the IHSAA, presented a $1,000 check to Decatur Central High School in the name of Jones.

E — Crowell, Slagle, Laugle. LOB — Penn 8, Decatur Central 11. DP -- Penn 2, Decatur Central. SAC -- Becker, Blessing. SB -- Crowell. Umpires -- Dean Russell (home plate), Bill Pebbleworth (first base), Danny Halladay (third base). Time — 3:30. Attendance -- 2,528 (Three-game championship session).

Penn and Decatur Central moved into the state championship game for the first time with semifinals victories Friday night at the Cherry Tree Softball Complex in Carmel.

Penn (26-8) scored seven unearned runs and posted a 7-0 triumph over No. 2-ranked Lafayette Jefferson (28-4). Decatur Central took eight innings to eliminate Boonville 5-3.

Decatur Central (32-1), which has advanced to the state finals in any IHSAA girls or boys team sport for the first time in the school's 68-year history, will meet Penn at Cherry Tree at 7 p.m. Saturday.

In Friday's opener, Kristy Harjung (15-3) pitched four and two-thirds innings for the Penn victory. She was relieved by Missy Grover in the fifth when Lafayette Jefferson mounted its biggest threat with runners on second and third and two out. Leighann Burke (23-4) absorbed the loss.

After three scoreless innings, Penn scored five unearned runs in the top of the fourth inning fueled by three singles, five stolen bases and two disastrous Lafayette Jefferson errors. Penn's Monica Tepe and Lisa Mattison led off the fourth inning with singles. Laurie Dieringer's bunt resulted in a two-run throwing error by Burke over the third baseman's head. Dieringer scored on an error, Toni Crowell singled in Crystal Beneker, and Laura Becker -- who reached first on a dropped third strike -- stole home to give the Kingsmen a 5-0 lead.

In the nightcap, Jesse Jones' two-out, two-run homer for Decatur Central in the top of the eighth inning lifted the Hawks to a 5-3 victory. The shot by Jones easily cleared the left centerfield bleachers and scored Lisa Shipley, who ripped a two-out triple to center just before Jones batted.

Decatur Central pitcher Mary Blessing moved to 28-0 this season despite four errors and a season-high three runs. Desiree Parsley led the offense with a homer, double, sacrifice fly and two RBI.

Boonville had base runners in every inning but the seventh, and left eight on base. Lacey Haynes and Sarah Stuart led the Pioneer offense with three hits each.

E — Kennedy 2, Shirley, Stone, Crowel. SB — Beneker 2, Becker 2, Crowel, Mattison. PB — Mitchell, Mattison. HBP – Burke (by Harjung). DP — Penn. LOB — Penn 4, Lafayette Jefferson 5. SAC — Burke, Dieringer. Umpires — Lloyd Adams (home plate), Tim Maguire (first base), W. Jay Hemingway (third base). Time of Game — 1:40. Attendance -- 1,261 (two-game session).

E — Shipley, Blessing, Abney, Slagle. 2B — Parsley, Snodgrass. 3B — Shipley. HR — Jones, Parsley. HBP – Shipley (by S. Emmons), Parsley (by S. Emmons). LOB — Decatur Central 3, Boonville 8. SAC — Blessing, Parsley, Huffer, Guthery, Metzger. Umpires — Tim Maguire (home plate), W. Jay Hemingway (first base), Lloyd Adams (third base). Time of Game — 2:21. Attendance -- 1,261 (two-game session).