Jarrah Tegarden batted in five runs to lead Mississinewa to the Class 3A Sectional 22 championship on their home field Thursday. The Indians were 11-1 winners over the Bellmont Braves in Gas City.
Bellmont took the lead in the bottom of the first inning when Liz Bobay drove in a run with a double. But that was one of only two hits recorded by the Braves Thursday, with the other being a third-inning two-base hit off the bat of Oni Krueckeberg.
Mississinewa surged in front with five runs in the top of the third inning. The Indians maintained that lead and added a run to it in the fourth.
Four runs in the fifth inning widened the Mississinewa advantage to 10-1. Tacking on another run in the sixth forced Bellmont to have to score at least one in the bottom half of the inning. But the game ended after each of Bellmont’s sixth-inning batters grounded out.
Tegarden came up with hits on three of her four plate appearances. Along with plating five runs, Tegarden scored one run of her own.
Amiyaa Parr-Inman and Charleigh Baledge drove in two runs apiece for Mississinewa. Ruth Bernius and Parker Matchette tacked on one each.
Mississinewa also received three-hit performances from Brooklynn Nash, Jaeli Miller and Bernius.