June 9, 2018
Sparkplugs Claim Softball State Title With One-Hit Win
Speedway jumped ahead with three runs in the second inning and cruised to a 5-0 victory over Bremen in the Class 2A Softball State Championship game at Purdue University's Bittinger Stadium.
Freshman pitcher Kaiah Fenters struck out 10 batters in seven innings of one-hit softball for the Sparkplugs' first state title in program history and the school's first since winning in boys basketball in 2002. The team captured the program's first sectional title two weeks ago.
Kendall Short, Hannah Lindsey and Lexi Laffin scored runs in the second to put give unranked Speedway a 3-0 lead.
The Sparkplugs (22-6-1) entered the state tournament unranked in the final Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association softball poll under sixth year coach Alyssa Coleman. They added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning when Short and Paige Rush scored on an error to make it 5-0.
Bremen starting pitcher Kaelyn Shively went five innings with no strikeouts and a walk. Caitlin Traxler had one strikeout in one inning. The Lions finished 26-4.
Rylee Wade of Speedway Wins Class 2A Mental Attitude Award
Members of the IHSAA Executive Committee announced Rylee Wade from Speedway High School as the winner of this year’s Mental Attitude Award in Class 2A Softball.
The Sparkplugs’ leftfielder was a three-time All Conference player, team MVP and team captain. She also played two years of basketball, one year of volleyball and also served as a football team manager.
Wade has been the lead organizer for the school’s Unified Kickball game the last two years, a student tutor, a freshman mentor, a student representative for the Northern Indiana Superintendent’s Conference and has also organized efforts to collect funds for Hurricane Victim’s Relief and a volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House.
She is the daughter of Jay Wade and Angela Watson of Speedway. She graduated 12th in her class with a 3.99 GPA and will attend Ball State University in the fall where she plans to study Actuarial Science.
Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance presented a $1,000 scholarship to Speedway High School in the name of Rylee Wade.