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WEST LAFAYETTE - The navy and old gold pile of humanity that made a mess of a small area of infield dirt was a long time in the making.

New Prairie is a state champion.

The Cougars’ softball team picked up the school’s first title in any sport by defeating Tri-West, 4-2, in the Class 3A championship game at Purdue’s Bittinger Stadium on Friday night.

“It feels amazing,” said New Prairie senior third baseman and future Indiana State player Abby Robakowski, who despite standing only 5-feet tall led her team with 23 home runs, 13 doubles and 73 RBI this spring.

“I mean, I feel like that’s cliché, but it really feels amazing. “There are a lot of people involved in this. It’s not just about us personally. It’s about a bigger picture, and that just feels really great.”

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Seventeen years had passed since New Prairie softball made its only other finals appearance. That resulted in a 5-0 loss to Boonville in a game played at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis.

This time around, the Cougars (31-5), aided by three Bruins’ errors in the top of the sixth inning, broke free from a 2-2 deadlock with two runs to account for the final tally.

Robakowski started things by reaching first on an error, and would make her way to third base on a throwing miscue. She made it home despite a last-ditch attempt by the Bruins to throw her out at the plate.

Junior leftfielder Emily Mrozinski then singled to right to widen the lead. Tri-West looked as though it might mount a rally, but stalled with runners at first and second in the bottom of the seventh.

“This is huge. Look at the crowd,” said sixth-year New Prairie coach Derek Hicks. “All these fans coming all the way here to watch us play. Our players were just very loose, and they weren’t going to quit.

“We got down there, I think, by a run, and they just weren’t going to have it. They fought back and played like they know how to play. They kept their heads about them and stayed in this game.”

New Prairie sophomore pitcher Ava Geyer gave up six hits and struck out nine to improve her season record to 28-2.

“Well, she’s well beyond a sophomore,” said Hicks. “She’s, like, probably a junior in college it seems like. The maturity level. She’s just a great player, and out best pitcher, by far, so she’s the one we’ve got to go with all the time.”

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Tri-West (27-6), the state 3A runner-up for a second consecutive season, was led by Sullivan with two hits. Junior pitcher Audrey Lowry, a lefthander, allowed only three hits and struck out nine for a final mark this season of 20-5.

New Prairie got on the board first courtesy of senior catcher Makayla Collins blasting her ninth home run of the season, a solo shot over the wall in center field, in the top of the opening frame.

The Bruins countered in their half of the first with leadoff hitter Nicole Mathews reaching first on an errant throw, and advancing all the way to third after the Cougars misplayed a pop fly.

Lowry tied the score with a sacrifice fly to left field.

Tri-West took a 2-1 lead after bringing home a run in the bottom of the third.

Senior Lainey Price hit an opposite-field single into left, which was followed by Mathews’ fielder’s choice and Price eventually advancing to third. Sullivan’s two-out single to left put the Bruins on top.

The advantage was short-lived, however, as Mrozinski hit a two-out single to center in the fourth to tie the score.

Afterward, as is state finals custom, New Prairie players and coaches took the Indiana-shaped championship trophy into right field so that photographers could click away.

Smiles were in abundance.

New Prairie had broken new ground. As a school, and as a community.

“The people who support us, we’re lucky enough to have them,” said Robakowski. “I think that’s really what makes it good for us.”

Tri-West’s Ava Sullivan named Mental Attitude Award recipient

At the conclusion of the game, Ava Sullivan of Tri-West Hendricks High School was announced as the recipient of the Mental Attitude Award for Class 3A Softball. 

The award is annually presented to a senior participant in the state finals who best demonstrates mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability and is nominated by her principal and coach.  

Ava graduated ranked ninth in her class of 128 students and is a member of the National Honor Society. She is also a mentor for freshmen students and 2023 NFCA Academic All-American. Athletically, she was a three-time All-Conference selection and set school records for home runs and season batting average. She also participated in varsity basketball, track and field, volleyball and swimming for the Bruins. 

Ava is the daughter of Jill and Nick Sullivan of Pittsboro, IN and will attend Purdue Ft. Wayne to become a teacher.

Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance presented a $1,000 scholarship to Tri-West Hendricks High School in the name of Ava Sullivan.