Lady Oracles take Sectional opener
By John Dunn Contributing Sportswriter

In a rematch of last year's championship game, Delphi defeated Fountain Central 3-0 Monday night in the opening game of the Class 2A Sectional played at North Montgomery.

Ironically, the game was eerily similar to last year's contest.

Not only was the venue the same, but so too was the final score, the exact innings in which the Lady Oracles scored their runs (third and sixth), and the Mustangs (11-12) were shutout and held to just two hits in both contests.

Further, only five Fountain Central runners reached base compared to just four last year, while Delphi collected a total of four hits to just three last time.

But this time it was sophomore pitcher Brittney Atwood on the mound for the Lady Oracles with the two-hitter, striking out eight and walking none, improving her season record to 10-6.

Atwood was in such control that from a span starting with no outs in the second inning through two-outs in the top of the seventh, she retired 17 consecutive batters before a Mustang finally reached base on a dropped fly ball.

It was the eighth time this season for her to hold an opponent to just one earned run or less in a game that she started, and her eleventh overall appearance in which she has done so.

Fountain Central's last hit of the contest came from its lead-off batter in the second.

Again, the hard-luck losing pitcher was junior Mustang ace Kelsey Everett, whose four-hitter was not enough. She finishes her season with an 11-12 record.

Delphi jumped in front in the bottom of the third, scoring two runs on consecutive singles from Emily and Leslie Kayser, followed by a Kayla Yates grounder to short that scored E. Kayser, then an Amanda Schultz' single to left-center scoring Danielle Burge, running for the catcher L. Kayser.

The Lady Oracles then added an insurance run in the sixth when Brianne Stauffer's perfectly executed sacrifice bunt caused an overthrow at first, scoring Schultz who had reached base on a fielder's choice.

Yates started the 6th with a lead-off single for Delphi's fourth and final hit. She was retired on a force out at second on Schultz's grounder to short.

Delphi (17-12) will next face Sheridan on Tuesday evening (too late for print) in another rematch of last year's semi-final. The Blackhawks defeated Clinton Central 8-2 in Monday night's nightcap.

The Lady Oracles swept the two-game Hoosier Conference series against Sheridan during the regular season with scores of 3-1 on the road May 1 and 2-0 at home on May 3.

The winner of Tuesday's early contest will face the winner of the Tuesday nightcap between Seeger and host North Montgomery in the Sectional 36 championship game on Thursday night at 6 p.m.