The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Sports Wednesday, April 25, 2018 B- 3 Chargers drop 13-4 loss to Eastern Greene Pike Central High School junior pitcher Brax- ton Rice held visiting East- ern Greene to no runs and no hits through the first four innings of a varsity baseball game hosted by the Chargers on Wednes- day, April 18. However, after short- stop Caleb Hamilton ended Rice's bid for a no-hitter by leading off the fifth inning with a solo home run, the Thunderbirds would erupt for 12 more runs to soar to a 13-4 victory. Rice retired the first 10 batters he faced – includ- ing five on strikeouts – be- fore giving up back-to-back walks to Eastern Greene's Blayne Campbell and Isa- iah Padgett with one out in the fourth inning. Following Hamilton's game-tying homer, Rice was relieved by junior Brennon Benton after the next batter – Thunderbirds second baseman J.W. How- ald – belted a double and advanced to third on a throwing error. Howald would score on a one-out single by center- fielder Bradley Padgett to tie the score at 2-2. Brad- ley Padgett then stole sec- ond base and scored on a single by Campbell to give Eastern Greene a 3-2 lead. The Thunderbirds would send 12 batters to the plate in the sixth inning while scoring seven runs on three hits, three hit bat- ters, one walk and four Pike Central errors to ex- tend their lead to 10 -2. Eastern Greene (1-5) added three more runs in the seventh inning, includ- ing two on a single by Brad- ley Padgett, to up its lead to 13-2. Pike Central (0 -9) scored one unearned run in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead, then extend- ed it to 2-0 when junior rightfielder Draven Huff – after reaching on a field- er's choice grounder – ad- vanced to third on a sin- gle by junior first base- man Kyle Williams and scored when the throw from Thunderbirds right- fielder Colton Rollins got past third baseman Brady Anderson. The Chargers added two more runs in the home half of the seventh inning, in- cluding one on a single by Rice, his third hit in four at-bats. Chargers junior Joey Church, who recorded the final six outs – allow- ing five runs (one earned) on four hits, while walking one and striking out three – after starting the game in left field, went 1-for-3 with a walk and scored twice. Howald, after striking out in his first at-bat, had three hits – including one double – and scored three runs while driving in one for Eastern Greene. Pike Central, which had lost 8 -2 at Heritage Hills on Tuesday, April 17, fell 5 -2 at South Knox on Thursday, April 19, and 11-1 at Tell City on Saturday, April 21, to drop to 0 -11. The Chargers will re- turn to action with a dou- bleheader at Bosse Field against Evansville Bosse on Wednesday, April 25. Pike Central will host Southridge on Thursday, April 26, travel to Loogoo- tee on Friday, April 27, be- fore returning home to take on Gibson Southern on Tuesday, May 1. SPORTS BRIEFS Sports physicals for PCMS, PCHS to be conducted May 9 Annual sports physi- cals for any student-ath- letes going into grades 6 through 12 for the 2018 - 19 school year will be conducted on Wednes- day, May 9, at Pike Cen- tral Middle School. The physicals will be conducted from 5:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. at a cost of $15 (cash or check made payable to PC Athletics). The sign-up location will be at Pike Central Middle School's main entrance. Students will be re- quired to sign in with their payment and will be seen on a first-come, first- served basis. Students participating in a PCSC home sporting event during the time physicals are being conducted will be worked in accordingly with the coach if it is pos- sible. Physicals include mea- surement of height, weight, blood pressure, a vision screening and a physical evaluation per- formed by a local health care provider. An IHSA A physical form – including the histo- ry, consent, acknowledge- ment and release – must be completed and signed by a parent or legal guard- ian and the student if the student is under the age of 18. The form will be avail- able that evening or can be picked up in advance at the athletic department, any school nurse's office or at www.ihsaa.org. The physical form will be kept on file at school with a copy of the exam and will be provided to any parent upon request. Students obtaining a sports physical exam from their personal healthcare provider for the 2018 -19 school year must use the IHSA A form. For the IH- SA A form to be valid for the 2018 -19 school year, it cannot be competed before April 1, 2018. The form must be signed by a personal healthcare pro- vider. Other forms will not be accepted. A sports physical form must be on file in order for a student to participate in any sport during the 2018 - 19 school year and also to participate in summer workouts in 2018. This will be the only time sports physicals will be conducted at Pike Cen- tral Middle School or Pike Central High School for the 2018 -19 school year. Participation is not man- datory. It is offered to as- sist students and families that otherwise would pay a higher cost for a sports physical. Mammals of Patoka River NWR There are currently near- ly 60 wild mammal species in Indiana. Join us Satur- day, May 5, at the Pato- ka River National Wildlife Refuge, where we'll take a closer peek at a few of those found living within Refuge boundaries. The guest speaker will share information on cur- rent distribution and status of certain endangered or ra- re species, as well as infor- mation on mammal den- tal formulas as a means of identification. We will have mammal skins on hand to identify and touch, and al- so a few mammal skulls to observe and study. Take- home handouts will be available, as well as hands- on mammal track identifi- cation fun. The program will begin at 1 p.m., Central time, at the outdoor classroom next to Boyd's Trail. It will last about an hour and a half. To get to the Boyd's Trail parking lot, head east on SR 64 from Oakland City. Just outside of the city, past the brown sign, turn left on CR 1275E. In one-half mile, bear left on paved 1300E; it will become gravel. Con- tinue one mile to the park- ing lot located on the left side of the road. If you would like to at- tend, please RSVP by call- ing the Refuge office at 812- 749 -3199. Above: Pike Central High School sophomore centerfielder Connor O'Neal tries to avoid getting hit by a pitch during varsity baseball game ac- tion against visiting Eastern Greene on Wednes- day, April 18. The Thunderbirds won the contest, 13-4. Ed Cahill photo Left: Pike Central High School junior Brax- ton Rice delivers a pitch during varsity baseball game action against visiting Eastern Greene on Wednesday, April 18. Rice retired the first 10 bat- ters he faced and allowed no hits through four in- nings before the Thunderbirds rallied for a 13-4 victory. Ed Cahill photo Above: Pike Central High School junior second baseman Troy Rickard prepares to swing at the ball during varsity baseball game action against visiting Eastern Greene on Wednesday, April 18. The Thunderbirds won the contest, 13-4. Ed Ca- hill photo Left: Pike Central High School junior leftfield- er Joey Church leads off second base during var- sity baseball game action against visiting Eastern Greene on Wednesday, April 18. The Thunder- birds won the contest, 13-4. Ed Cahill photo Left: Pike Central High School junior shortstop Race Brit- ton throws the ball to first base during var- sity baseball game action against visit- ing Eastern Greene on Wednesday, April 18. The Thunderbirds won the contest, 13- 4. Ed Cahill photo Above: Pike Central High School head coach Josh McDonald (left) talks with Charger junior rightfielder Draven Huff (10) during varsity base- ball game action against visiting Eastern Greene on Wednesday, April 18. The Thunderbirds won the contest, 13-4. Ed Cahill photo Below: Pike Central High School junior third baseman Brennon Benton leads off second base during varsity baseball game action against visit- ing Eastern Greene on Wednesday, April 18. The Thunderbirds won the contest, 13-4. Ed Cahill photo daughter of Jody and Bruce Croak, of Petersburg. "It's close to home, and I really like all of them." "I asked her early on, 'How far do you want to get away? '" Pike Central head coach Rick Weisman recalled. "She said, well, she'd like to stay close if she could, but she'd just wait and see what the cards were on the table. They stepped up and offered her a scholarship, so she was happy with that." A four-year starter for the Lady Chargers, Croak is currently batting .480 – with 12 hits in 25 at-bats – and has scored three runs while driving in seven. In 2017, Croak was named to the Pocket Ath- letic Conference Softball Team as a utility player after batting .400 with 30 hits – including six doubles and one home run – in 75 at-bats, scoring 12 runs and driving in 26. In eight games against PAC oppo- nents, Croak batted .357, scored five runs and drove in 13. For her career, Croak has a .371 batting average – with 88 hits in 237 at-bats – along with 49 runs scored and 88 RBI. "When she first started, she played outfield for us," Weisman said. "She just said, 'Hey, put me in the line-up anywhere, I'll be fine with it." Following Lady Charger senior first baseman Oliv- ia Whann's graduation in 2015, Croak moved to the infield at the start of her sophomore season. "She's worked at it, and she's been a mainstay at first base for us," Weisman said. "She is a leader, and kids look up to her. You've got to have those kids on a team." Croak, who plans to major in Sports Adminis- tration, said that she was "very excited" to sign with Oakland City. "I went to a practice a couple of months ago and I really, really liked how they handled practice and I real- ly like the coaches," Croak said. "I'm just really really excited about continuing my academic and softball careers at OCU." The Mighty Oaks are coached by Otwell native Patti Buchta, who coached basketball, volleyball and track at Pike Central from 1982-90. During her high school career, Buchta earned 12 varsity letters (four each in basketball and track, three in volley- ball and one in tennis) and still holds the Lady Char- gers' school record in bas- ketball for highest field goal percentage in a single season (62.2 percent). Buchta has been the head softball coach at Oak- land City since 1992, and has led the Mighty Oaks to four NCCA A Region- al Championships (1998, 2006, 2010, 2016) and sev- en NCCA A World Series appearances (1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2010, 2016), finishing as the Na- tional Runner-up in 1997. Her career won-lost record stands at 370 -513. "Patty's been a strong supporter for us," Weis- man said. "She gives some kids a chance to go to col- lege and helps her program out, so it kind of works both ways – if we can help them, they can help us, so we're kind of glad about it." Croak said that neither Buchta or Buchta's assis- tant coach, Pike Central graduate Randy Chapell, had indicated what role they envisioned her in on the Mighty Oaks softball team. "I've talked to (Chapell) and he says that there's a possibility I might get to play my first year or I might not," Croak said. "But even if I don't, I'm still so excit- ed to be on their team, and supporting everyone on their team." CROAK Continued from page 1 SOMETHING NEWSWORTHY? Give us a call: 812-354-8500