Phone: 317-846-6601 Fax: 317-575-4244 Website: www.ihsaa.org
Blake Ress, Commissioner
_________________________________________________________________________
June 10, 2008
NEW PALESTINE WINS 3A STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP
Second-ranked
New Palestine scored four runs in the fifth inning to break open a scoreless
tie and went on to beat No. 4 Jasper, 4-0, for the Class 3A state championship
at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis.
It was the
second softball state championship for the school and third overall. New
Palestine (29-3) previously won 3A softball and baseball titles in 2004.
With two outs
and bases loaded in the fifth, Jasper pitcher Leah Miller walked New
Pal’s Sara Evans forcing Alysha Zimmerman
across the plate and then beaned the next batter,
Alyssa Marcum, forcing in Sydni Phelan. Zimmerman was
pinch-running for Jamie Story who had walked and Phelan also drew a walk. Next,
Michelle Marcum got New Palestine’s first hit of the game dumping a
single into short right field scoring Jensen Pritt
and Katie Prosser. Pritt was pinch-running for Evans
and Prosser also drew a walk.
For the game,
New Palestine drew six walks tying the 3A championship game record.
Jasper
(28-5) wasted a second inning scoring opportunity when it couldn’t push
runners across from second and third with no outs as the Wildcats grounded out,
struck out and grounded out again to end the inning.
In
semifinal action, New Palestine had defeated Bellmont,
1-0, in 10 innings on Monday afternoon in a game that had been postponed on
Friday and Saturday due to rain, while Jasper knocked off top-ranked Mishawaka
Marian, 5-0, Monday night. Jasper, under coach Tom
Rupert, was making its first appearance in the state finals. New Palestine was
coached by Ed Marcum.
The game
was also the first to go uninterrupted by rain or lightning since the state
finals began four days earlier.
ALYSSA
MARCUM NAMED MENTAL ATTITUDE AWARD WINNER
Following
the game, Alyssa Marcum of New Palestine High School was honored with the
mental attitude award by members of the IHSAA Executive Committee.
At the
conclusion of each championship game, the IHSAA Executive Committee presents an
award for mental attitude to an outstanding senior participant in each
classification of the state tournament. The recipient of the award, nominated
by her principal and coach, was determined to have best demonstrated mental
attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability in softball.
Marcum
recently graduated with an Academic Honors Diploma and was a member of the
National Honor Society. She will continue her softball career at Indiana State
University where she plans to study elementary education.
Marcum led
the state in RBI this season and she also becomes the first New Palestine
student to win an IHSAA mental attitude award.
Marcum is
the daughter of Ed and Becky Marcum of New Palestine. Ed is the New Palestine
head coach and sister Michelle is a sophomore on the
team.
Farm Bureau
Insurance, the IHSAA’s proud corporate partner,
presented a $1,000 scholarship to New Palestine High School in the name of
Marcum.
VSN MEANS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY
Visit our
friends at Visual Sports Network, the IHSAA’s official photographer for all state
championship events and one of the leading action photographers in the
CHAMPIONSHIP MERCHANDISE STILL AVAILABLE
For t-shirts and other merchandise commemorating this year’s tournament or for any of our events, visit our friends at Morris, Inc.
STATE FINALS PROGRAMS AVAILABLE
Couldn’t
be there for the state finals? You can still purchase a copy of the official
souvenir program while supplies last! Programs are $3.00 if you purchase in
person at the IHSAA Office (