North Newton’s Lady Spartans softball team made history June 13 earning the state championship title in the Class 1A softball tournament at Purdue University. The team defeated the Clay City Eels 2-0.
This is the first state title in the school’s history in any sport.
“I still don’t think it’s sat in,” Head Coach Katherine Messersmith said via telephone June 17.
“We had decided we were going to leave about 1:30 our time. We got a certain amount of time on Purdue’s baseball field when we got there. We warmed up a little bit at the school and parents decorated their cars and stuff.
“Going in to that week we kept focusing on ‘this moment is going to be huge, win or lose. Just keep your focus on another game. Play our game.’ That kind of thing.”
When they arrived at Purdue, she said they were met by IHSA staff. “They brought us on to the baseball field and right then and there I think the girls were shocked. It hit them right then that they couldn’t believe they were going to play on Purdue’s field. Especially since we have a couple of girls, one for sure of the senior class that’s going to attend Purdue in the fall and then we have a couple underclassmen who hope to go to school at Purdue. For them to be able to take that in was an experience in itself, so that was pretty cool.”
They had their bats checked, warmed up and then they were taken to the field. “We actually went into the left field bench. They had a little area for us to go in, that way we didn’t have cross through all the parents and stuff like that. Then we went from left field all the way to right field to our dugout. It helped, I think, because as soon as they walked through the fence and saw the sea of orange out there — our theme the whole tournament run — they were just stoked.
“They saw how much support they had, even more than what they’ve had this whole tournament; lots of alumni, family members, stuff like that.
“Then the game started. Sydney (Rainford) has been warming up pretty well,” she said, noting that when she was in the bull pen, “it was probably the hardest I’ve ever seen her throw. She was ready to go and couldn’t wait for this moment. We were the visiting team, so we got to hit first. Throughout the year, home or away, typically when we’re away, we want to set the tone and we did that.”
Freshman lead off batter Caylee Oxley got a hit over second base. “That got the game started,” she said.
Freshman catcher Rylynn Klemz got on first base as well. “We did not end up scoring in the first inning but I believe that set the tone right there. They believed in themselves and each other.”
The Spartans had never played the Eels before. “I don’t even think some of us had heard of it until they won the south division for 1A.
“We looked into some stats and Game Changer a little bit,” she said, noting that their pitcher was good. “Hitting and protecting the outside, taking the outside, because we thought she was going to paint the corners pretty good and she did.
“She had a nice change up as well. Early in game, though, we were hitting her well, we were just hitting to them. It was making a small adjustment and moving runners. They had some good power hitters as well.
“It was actually crazy and I guarantee they thought I was crazy because my best outfielder (Riley Higgins, a junior) we put in right field. The first three hitters were all lefties, and so when you’re late, they want to take that to left field on a leftie, so the first three hitters I actually had Riley in left field, then a righty would come up and I called time for a defensive switch, so my left and right fielders got their steps in in that game because we kept switching them. But they had some good power hitters themselves.”
Messersmith said each school got to nominate someone for the Mental Attitude Award. There’s one winner per game, she said, and those nominated were not guaranteed to win. Sydney Rainford won that award. “She got a $1,000 scholarship for our school,” she said. “It could not have gone to a more deserving kid. She worked really hard.”
Messersmith said after the game, it was announced that from sectional play to the state tournament, Rainford did not allow one run, which is the second time it’s ever happened. “I think we scored 41 runs and allowed 0,” she said noting that the Spartan defense was also tremendous.
North Newton had several players win awards. All Conference winners include Rainford, Oxley and Klemz. Honorable Mention winner was Jane Busboom.
Rainford was also named to the All State first team.
Messersmith said, “The community was there and the girls have worked hard.” She said some of the girls still want to be playing, though the season is over.
They lose four seniors, but there are some good players for next year.
“Having a pitcher like Sydney, that will definitely be a huge hole to fill,” she said. “We do have some incoming eighth graders that hope to be just like her some day. They are taking lessons now. We also had Caylee Oxley was a freshman, starting shortstop, and my centerfielder Addison Culbreth, she was a freshman as well. We have some underclassmen in there who aren’t doing too bad.
“It was a great year to win with Sydney and that senior class. Two of those seniors were on the semi state team the year they were a semi state runner-up.”
Messersmith said one other thing that was special to her was that Oxley and Klemz were the eighth grade managers last year and they got to play and win the championship this year.