In a rematch of last year's opening round game and the Sectional championship from two seasons' ago, the state's Class 2A #12-ranked Delphi softball team defeated Fountain Central 10-5 Monday night in the Sectional 37 opener played at Clinton Central.

But unlike the last two defensive match-ups that ended with identical 3-0 final scores, this one featured more offense, but ultimately the same winning result as Delphi (21- 8) advances to play Seeger, who drew the bye, in the semi-final round Wednesday night beginning at 5.

Carroll opened its Sectional play Tuesday night against Clinton Central in a game that ended too late for print.

As they have done all season, the Lady Oracles struck first in the top-of-the-1st with two runs on successive hits from Whitney Arion and Kayla Yates and an RBI grounder from Carli Rouhier, taking the early lead.

It marked the 20th time in 29 games this season that the Oracles have scored at least a run in the 1st inning and the 15th time that they have scored two runs or more in their first at-bat.

But the Mustangs (9-13) showed more firepower of their own, getting a run back after a lead-off walk in the 1st, then scoring three more in the 3rd after two lead-off walks and an infield error to take a 4-2 lead after 3 innings.

Again true to form with the offensive prowess that has been on display all season, Delphi responded right back in the top-of-the-4th with a 5- run, 6-hit barrage that featured a lead-off double from Kristina Barnard, followed by a Leslie Kayser single. That set the table for the top of the order ¯ which responded with a hit from Arion, a 2-RBI single from Yates, a 2-RBI double from Rouhier and an RBI single from Amanda Schultz to take a 7-4 lead that the Oracles would not relinquish.

Delphi added three more runs in the 6th inning sparked by a solo home run by Brittany Tyner, the first of her high school career, followed by a single from Arion, a swinging-bunt from Yates and another 2-RBI double by Rouhier.

Atwood struck out seven and allowed only five hits and three earned runs on the mound to improve her overall record to 15-7 on the season.

Arion, Yates and Rouhier led the 13-hit Oracle attack with three hits apiece, with Rouhier tying a season-high with five RBIs and Yates adding two RBIs of her own.

Should Delphi and/or Carroll advance from the Tuesday and Wednesday night semifinal contests, the championship game of the Clinton Central Sectional is scheduled for Thursday night at 5 p.m.