The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, May 30, 2018 B-1 SPORTS Submit sports items: Call: 812-354-8500 Email: sports@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net Pike Central High School sopho- more Tyler Kirby placed third in pole vault – with a school-record leap of 14 feet, 2 inches – to qualify for the state finals during the IHSA A Boys' Track and Field Regional Meet at Evans- ville Central on Thursday, May 24. Kirby broke his own school record of 14 feet, 1 inch – which he set one week earlier in the sectional meet at Princeton, eclipsing the previous re- cord of 14 feet set by Eric Knight in 2002 – to become the first Charger to advance to the state finals since Cain Parker in 2013. "Tyler breaking his own school re- cord and advancing to the state fi- nals was definitely a great ending to the meet," Pike Central head coach Chris Kramer said. "He has been re- ally grinding through some soreness in his legs but has performed when it matters in the meets. He, along with the coaches, are definitely excited to be going on for another week." Both Kirby and senior Gavin Boyd – who placed fourth with a person- al-best leap of 13 feet, 6 inches – be- gan competing when the bar reached a height of 12 feet, 6 inches, and cleared it on their first attempts. "I give the pole vaulters I've coached over the years two rules," said Knight, who currently serves as a volunteer assistant coach for the Chargers. "The first rule is 'land on By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net A three-run first inning provid- ed Jasper with all the runs the La- dy Wildcats needed in a 3-1 victory over host Pike Central in the cham- pionship game of the sectional tour- nament on Thursday, May 24. Sophomore centerfielder Lexie Jerger and senior second baseman Grace Werner led off the game with back-to-back hits and – following a sacrifice bunt by junior third base- man Rachel Gress – scored on a dou- ble by sophomore designated play- er Grace Colvin to give Jasper a 2- 0 lead. A fter Pike Central senior pitcher Peyton Sorgius retired the next bat- ter – sophomore shortstop Meredith Hilgefort – on a pop fly to Lady Char- gers senior shortstop Audra Stone, a line drive by freshman pitcher Mia Werner glanced off the glove of se- nior left fielder Jordan Montgomery for an error, allowing Colvin to score and extend Jasper's lead to 3-0. The Lady Wildcats would subse- quently load the bases – on an infield single by senior left fielder Hailey Hurst and an error by Pike Central junior second baseman Emily Car- nahan on an infield pop-up by junior first baseman Madison Allen – be- fore Sorgius struck out junior right- fielder Taylor Mitchell looking for the third out. Sorgius would hold Jasper score- less over the final six innings, allow- ing just three hits and striking out three while walking none. Sorgius, who retired the final 10 batters she faced, also fielded her position flawlessly with two put-outs and five assists. "She had good control today, after she got through that first one," Weis- man said. "She started shoving them on the hands, especially the slappers, and that's what you've got to do – you've got to put it in on their hands to keep them from getting their hips open and slapping the ball." Pike Central, meanwhile, would strand runners in scoring position during each of the first six innings. In the first inning, Stone drew a walk and, one out later, stole second base. When senior third baseman Jalah Barnes followed with a single to left field, Stone advanced to third base, where she was held up by La- dy Chargers head coach Rick Weis- man as Hurst quickly retrieved the ball and threw it to Hilgefort. Hilgefort then relayed the ball to Grace Warner, who tagged out Barnes as she tried to take second base on the play. The next batter, senior first base- man Demi Croak, grounded out to end the inning. In the second inning, senior catch- er Lexi Halbrader doubled with one out. One out later, sophomore Aubrie Dawson – courtesy running for Hal- brader – advanced to third base on a single by junior rightfielder Han- nah Carnahan before Montgomery hit a comebacker to Mia Warner for the third out. With one out in the third inning, Sorgius reached on an error by Grace Werner, advanced to second on an er- ror by Hurst on a fly ball by Barnes, then took third on a single by Croak as the Lady Chargers loaded the bas- es. However, sophomore centerfield- er Lauren Vaughn grounded into a force-out at home, then Halbrader grounded into a force-out at third base to end the inning. By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net Pike Central High School senior Taylor Def- fendoll placed eighth in high jump during the IH- SA A Girls' Track and Field Regional Meet at Evans- ville Central on Tuesday, May 23. Deffendoll, who placed second during the section- al meet one week earlier at Princeton with a leap of 4 feet, 10 inches, again cleared the bar at 4 feet, 10 inches to finish in a tie for the region's sixth-highest jump with Evansville Me- morial junior Miranda An- slinger, Evansville North senior Claudia Eder, For- est Park sophomore Bran- dee Johanneman, Gibson Southern freshman Emi- ly McKee, Shoals sopho- more Maggie Shaw and Boonville sophomore Ra- mey Wilder. Johanneman and Wild- er – who both cleared the bar at 4 foot, 8 inches and at 4 foot, 10 inches on their first attempts – ended up in a tie for sixth place, while Deffendoll – who cleared the bar at 4 foot, 10 inches on her first attempt – placed eighth overall. Anslinger, Eder and McKee cleared the bar at 4 foot, 10 inches on their second attempts while Shaw cleared the bar at 4 foot, 10 inches on her third attempt. "By my calculations, KIRBY RESETS SCHOOL POLE VAULT RECORD, ADVANCES TO STATE FINALS SATURDAY Pike Central High School sophomore Tyler Kirby clears the bar while competing in pole vault during the boys' track and field regional meet on Thursday, May 24, at Evansville Central. Kirby placed third with a leap of 14 feet, 2 inches – breaking his own school record – to advance to the state finals on Sat- urday, June 2, in Bloomington. Andy Heuring photo Pike Central High School senior shortstop Audra Stone catches a pop-up by Jasper junior third baseman Rachel Gress to end the fourth inning during the sectional softball tournament champion- ship game at Pike Central on Thursday, May 24. Ed Cahill photo See KIRBY on pg 4 Goff signs national letter of intent to wrestle at Kentucky Wesleyan Lady Chargers fall 3-1 to Jasper in sectional title game Pike Central High School junior Alyssa Jen- kins competes in discus during the girls' track and field regional meet on Tuesday, May 22, at Evansville Central. Jenkins finished 13th with a toss of 86 feet, 10 inches. Jim Capozella photo Pike Central High School's Silas Goff (seat- ed, center) prepares to sign a national letter of intent to wrestle at Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, Ky., on Tuesday, May 29. Also seated are, from left to right, Chargers head coach Billy Hewig, and Goff's mother, Mandy. Standing, from left to right, are Goff's brother, Christian Alvey, and grandparents, Tonya and Bernie Goff. Ed Cahill photo Pike Central High School senior Gavin Boyd clears the bar while competing in pole vault during the boys' track and field regional meet on Thursday, May 24, at Evansville Central. Boyd placed fourth with a personal-best leap of 13 feet, 6 inches. Andy Heuring photo By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net One of Pike Central High School's newest alums – Si- las Goff – signed a national letter of intent to continue his wrestling career at Ken- tucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, Ky., during a ceremony held on Tuesday, May 29. "I took a visit," said Goff, the 18 -year-old son of Man- dy Goff, of Petersburg. "The coaches seemed re- al nice. The campus was nice. It seemed like a place I could stay for a little bit and enjoy my college career." Goff, who competed in the 285 -pound weight class during his sophomore, ju- nior and senior years, won back-to-back Pocket Athlet- ic Conference titles in 2017 and 2018, one sectional title in 2018 and one regional ti- tle in 2018, while advancing to semi-state in both 2017 and 2018. "What is really impres- sive is that Silas wrestled all three years in middle school and was never able to be the varsity heavy- weight and decided not to wrestle his freshman year," said Chargers head coach Billy Hewig. "But he worked hard in the weight room and, during his soph- omore year, he won over 25 matches. He then had an amazing next two years, ac- complishing great things." Goff, Hewig noted, fin- ished his career with 104 wins, including 68 career wins by pin, while scoring 582 team points. "Above all, Silas showed great character throughout his years here," Hewig said. "He won and lost with class always, and always did what was best for the team." Goff, who received Pock- et Athletic Conference hon- orable mention in football at center as a junior, had considered attending In- diana State University in Terre Haute, Ind., where he planned on trying to be a walk-on on the school's football team. "This place had a little bit to offer," Goff said of Ken- tucky Wesleyan College, an NCA A Division II school. "It's a little smaller, so I feel like it will be a little easier to kind of get used to." Goff said that the school's proximity to both his fami- ly and his friends was a con- sideration in making the de- cision. "It's far enough to be in college, close enough to home," Goff said. "I've got a lot of friends that will be going to Evansville for col- lege, so I'll be close enough See GOFF on pg 2 See FALL on pg 5 See TR ACK on pg 2 Deffendoll places eighth in high jump at regional girls' track meet