The Portage softball team has transitioned to a new head coach as Lisa Hayes took over the head varsity job for this season. On Tuesday night the Tribe dismantled Valparaiso 12-2 in six innings by implementing the ten run rule to complete a two game sweep of the season series between the two teams.
The Indian offense broke the game wide open by scoring seven times in the fourth inning. Three Portage batters homered in a sudden power surge.
“It was awesome,” head coach Lisa Hayes said. “You never really expect three girls to hit home runs and all three of them were huge.”
Sophomore Alexis Johnson drilled a two-run homer, her first of the season, junior Haley Hodges launched a solo run blast, her second of the year and junior Lauren Murray went deep for the third time this year, this one a three-run shot.
Hodges and Murray have both had breakout seasons, batting third and fourth in the heart of the Portage lineup. Hodges, the starting catcher, is the most experienced team member having started varsity since her freshman season.
“Lauren and Haley have both done a phenomenal job and Kylie Jones with her pitching and the same with our other two pitchers. At different points, they’re all doing really good things,” Hayes said.
The rotation is comprised of Jones, a freshman, junior Heather Zengler and freshman Kaitlin Doud. Zengler struck out eight against Valpo on her way to a complete game victory. Each of the three has logged a significant number of quality innings so far this year.
Portage started the year with a 4-2 loss to Andrean before rapping off five straight wins. Conference play has included difficult losses to Crown Point, Chesterton and LaPorte and victories over Merrillville and now Valparaiso. However, the highlight of the year came on April 18 when the Indians upset Lake Central, LC was ranked No. 1 in the area by most local media outlets. Portage pulled off a 5-2 win behind a strong pitching performance from Jones and a two-run homer by Hodges.
“With any coaching job, you always have ups and downs especially when your team has ups and downs. This is a great group of kids. I couldn’t ask anything more of them as far as attitudes and the way they approach the game,” Hayes said.
For the PHS softball squad, a string of six more conference games between April 26 and May 10 will help determine whether Portage is one of the conference’s elite teams into the postseason. This run includes chances to avenge all three conference losses plus a rematch with LC on May 8 in Saint John. Hayes, a former Chesterton softball star, said that a strong will to win is necessary for the team to do well down the stretch.
“Coming out ready to go every single game, because how you approach the game and your fielding and your at-bats, that says it all. If you’re not ready to play, you’re not going to win,” she said.
Pitching has been an area of strength for the lady-Indians. The staff has limited opposing teams to five runs or fewer in 13 of the first 14 games.
“Our pitchers are doing a great job for us, all three of them are pretty solid. Once a couple of hits get strung together, things just start to snowball for us in a good way. They’ve just all started to jump on the ball,” she said.
This year’s sectional will be hosted in Chesterton beginning on May 21. The Indians will find out their first round opponent on May 10 when sectional pairings are announced.
Click here for a full photo gallery from Tuesday's game against Valparaiso!!!