SHELBYVILLE – East Central baseball was staring down the barrel of a 3-2 Class 4A sectional first round exit with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning Wednesday.

But wildness on the part of the Golden Bears' bullpen allowed the Trojans (18-8) to accept a two-run gift for the 4-3 victory, propelling them into Saturday's semifinals.

With one out in its last at-bat, struggling EC (4 errors, 7 hits) drew a four-pitch walk to catcher Austin Holloway from Shelby reliever and losing pitcher Chase McColley (one inning, 2 unearned runs, no hits, 3 walks).

GREENSBURG – South Dearborn softball jumped out to leads of 2-0 after one inning and 5-0 after two en route to a 6-3 Class 3A sectional semfinal round win over Batesville Wednesday.

Junior Ellen Barrett added the icing on the cake with her 10th home run of the season, a high-fly solo shot clearing the fence just left of centerfield in the home fourth inning – after the Bulldogs rallied back within 5-3 in the third.

Now 17-5, SD heads for its third consecutive 3A sectional title game tonight (Thursday) against Rushville, (10-10) a 1-0 upset winner over host Greensburg in Wednesday late semifinal contest.

H.S. baseball

Class 4A Sectional

First Round

Wednesday, May 22

At Shelbyville

Trojans 4

Golden Bears 3

EAST CENTRAL AB R H BI

Werner, cf 3 0 1 1

Merkin, ph 1 0 0 0

Stonefield, lf 2 2 1 0

Schomber, ss-p 3 0 2 1

Tallon, 1b 3 0 0 0

Holloway, c 2 0 1 1

Dudley, pr 0 0 0 0

DeZarn, p 4 1 2 0

Kramer, rf 2 1 0 0

Schuman, 3b 2 0 0 0

Romie, pr 0 0 0 0

Gruen, dh 3 0 0 0

Broughton, 2b 0 0 0 0

Gutapfel, ph 0 0 0 0

TOTALS 25 4 7 4

SHELBYVILLE AB R H BI

Kuhn, cf 4 1 1 0

Cox, c 3 0 1 0

McColley, 1b 4 0 0 0

Peugh, p 0 0 0 0

Larrison, p-3b 2 0 0 1

Munger, ph 0 0 0 0

Simmerman, 1b 4 0 1 0

Savage, pr 0 0 0 0

Mathies, lf 2 0 0 0

Eads, ss 3 1 3 0

Hasecuster, 2b 3 0 1 1

Campton, rf 2 1 1 0

TOTALS 27 3 8 2

East Central 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 – 4-7-4

Shelbyville 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 – 3-8-1

2B – Stonefield, Eads. 3B – Hasecuster. HR – None. SB – Schomber, Kuhn. SAC – Schomber, Kramer, Schuman, Larrison. E – Werner, Holloway, DeZarn, Schuman, SH. LOB – EC 13, SH 8. HBP – Mathies (by DeZarn), Tallon, Holloway (by Larrison).

WP – DeZarn (5-0) 6-2/3 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 8 H, 3 K, 3 BB

LP – McColley 1 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 K, 3 BB

SV – Schomber 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 K, 0 BB

SH – Larrison 5-2/3 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 H, 6 K, 4 BB

SH – Peugh 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 K, 0 BB

RICHMOND – East Central's barrier-breaking girls tennis season took it to the next level with the program's first regional team championship Wednesday night.

Now 19-3, coach Scott Kluener's Lady Trojans dispatched semifinal round foe Shenandoah 5-0 Tuesday, then followed with a 3-2 title victory over host Richmond Wednesday – after a one-hour rain delay.

“I'm extremely proud of our girls and how we were able to have the patience to wait out the rain delay and come out strong,” Kluener said.

H.S. softball

Class 3A Sectional

Semifinal

Knights 6

Bulldogs 3

Wednesday, May 22

At Greensburg

BATESVILLE AB R H BI

Kain, cf 4 1 2 1

Thomas 4 1 1 0

Liter 2 0 0 0

Dreyer 3 0 0 0

Miller, p 3 0 1 0

Putnam 3 0 0 0

Werner 3 0 0 0

Volz 3 1 1 0

Bryan 3 0 1 0

TOTALS 28 3 6 1

SO.DEARBORN AB R H BI

Bailey, ss 3 2 1 0

Wolfer, cf 3 1 1 0

Barrett, 3b 3 1 2 3

Largent, rf 2 1 1 1

Vertz, p 3 0 1 2

McClurg, dp 3 0 0 0

Slayback, 2b 0 0 0 0

Murphy, c 3 0 2 0

Brindley, 1b 3 0 1 0

Rose, lf 2 1 0 0

TOTALS 25 6 9 6

Batesville 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 – 3-6-2

So.Dearborn 2 3 0 1 0 0 X – 6-9-1

2B – Miller, Thomas, Murphy. 3B – Volz. HR – Barrett (10th). HBP – Liter (by Vertz), Largent, Bailey (by Miller). SAC – Wolfer, Rose. SB – Largent. E – Miller, Liter, Slayback. LOB – BV 5, SD 5.

WP – Vertz (9-3) 7 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, 6 H, 7 K, 0 BB

LP – Miller 6 IP, 6 R, 3 ER, 9 H, 1 K, 0 BB

H.S. girls tennis

IHSAA REGIONAL

At Richmond

Tuesday, May 21

Richmond 5, Rushville 0

EAST CENTRAL 5, Shenandoah 0

Wednesday, May 22

EAST CENTRAL 3, Richmond 2, final

IHSAA SEMISTATE

At Center Grove

Saturday, May 25

Greenwood vs. Terre Haute South, 10 a.m.

EAST CENTRAL vs. Plainfield Winner, 10 a.m.

IHSAA REGIONAL

At Richmond

Semifinal

Tuesday, May 21

East Central 5,

Shenandoah 0

1ST SINGLES – Abby Sweeney (EC) def. Jalen Phelps 6-0, 6-0

2ND SINGLES – Connor Struewing (EC) def. Kassy Pierce 6-0, 6-1

3RD SINGLES – Alyssa DiFiglio (EC) def. Courtney Byer 6-2, 6-2

1ST DOUBLES – Kelly Weigel/Clare Struewing (EC) def. McKenna Resler/Conli Prichard 6-2, 6-2

2ND DOUBLES – Abby Ashton/Claire Kern (EC) def. Hannah Sanders/Shelby Lockhart 6-0, 6-2

Championship

Wednesday, May 22

East Central 3

Richmond 2

1ST SINGLES – Peyton Young (R) def. Abby Sweeney 6-2, 6-1

2ND SINGLES - Katy Robinson (R) def. Connor Struewing 6-7, 7-5 (injury default)

3RD SINGLES - Alyssa DiFiglio (EC) def. Kaitlin Kramer 6-3, 6-1

1ST DOUBLES - Kelly Weigel/Clare Struewing (EC) def. Julia Hays/Kaitlyn Harrison 6-1, 6-1

2ND DOUBLES - Abby Ashton/Claire Kern (EC) def. Krissy Kramer/Emma Lady 4-6, 6-4, 6-2

EC record: 19-3

H.S. baseball

IHSAA SECTIONALS

May 22-27

CLASS 4A – Sectional 14

At Shelbyville

Wednesday, May 22

EAST CENTRAL 4, Shelbyville 3

Columbus North vs. Bloomington South, ppd. to Thursday

Saturday, May 25

EAST CENTRAL vs. Winner Game 2, 1 p.m.

Bloomington North vs. Columbus East, 3 p.m.

Monday, May 27

Championship, 3 p.m.

CLASS 3A – Sectional 29

At Greensburg

Wednesday, May 22

Rushville 7, SOUTH DEARBORN 3

Thursday, May 23

Greensburg vs. Batesville, 5 p.m.

Franklin Co. vs. LAWRENCEBURG, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, May 24

Madison vs. RUSHVILLE, 5 p.m.

Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 7:30 p.m.

Monday, May 27

Championship, 5:30 p.m.

CLASS 2A – Sectional 45

At South Ripley (Versailles)

Wednesday, May 22

South Ripley 6, North Decatur 0

Austin 27, Southwestern (Hanover) 1 (5 in.)

Thursday, May 23

South Ripley vs. Austin, 5 p.m.

Switzerland Co. vs. Milan, 7:30 p.m.

Monday, May 27

Championship, 5 p.m.

CLASS A – Sectional 60

At Madison Shawe

Wednesday, May 22

RISING SUN 4, Oldenburg Academy 1 (9 in.)

Madison Shawe 5, Jac-Cen-Del 4

Thursday, May 23

RISING SUN vs. Madison Shawe, 5 p.m.

Hauser vs. South Decatur, 7:30 p.m.

Monday, May 27

Championship, 5 p.m.

REGIONALS: Saturday, June 1

H.S. softball

IHSAA SECTIONALS

May 20-25

CLASS 4A – Sectional 14

At East Central

Monday, May 20

EAST CENTRAL 10, Shelbyville 9

Bloomington South 3, Columbus North 2

Tuesday, May 21

Bloomington South 3, EAST CENTRAL 0

Columbus East 11, Bloomington North 1 (5 in.)

Thursday, May 23`

Bloomington South vs. Columbus East, championship, 7 p.m.

CLASS 3A – Sectional 29

At Greensburg

Monday, May 20

SOUTH DEARBORN 11, LAWRENCEBURG 1 (5 in.)

Tuesday, May 21

Greensburg 5, Franklin County 1

Rushville 6, Madison 0

Wednesday, May 22

SOUTH DEARBORN 6, Batesville 3

Rushville 1, Greensburg 0

Thursday, May 23

SOUTH DEARBORN vs. Rushville, championship, 5:30 p.m.

CLASS 2A – Sectional 45

At Switzerland Co.

Monday, May 20

South Ripley 9, Austin 3

Switzerland Co. 12, Southwestern (Hanover) 6

Tuesday, May 21

Switzerland Co. 5, South Ripley 2

Milan 12, North Decatur 11 (8 in.)

Wednesday, May 22

Switzerland Co. 5, Milan 3, final

CLASS A – Sectional 60

At Rising Sun

Monday, May 20

RISING SUN 14, Oldenburg Academy 1

Hauser 18, Madison Shawe 0

Tuesday, May 21

RISING SUN 13, Hauser 2

South Decatur 9, Jac-Cen-Del 6

Thursday, May 23

RISING SUN vs. South Decatur, championship, 7:30 p.m.

REGIONALS: Tuesday, May 28

AURORA – Longtime South Dearborn High School staffer Chris Nobbe was named the Knights' new head football coach by unanimous 7-0 vote of the school board Monday night.

Nobbe, 38, succeeds Eric Lows, who posted a 20-31 mark in five seasons at his alma mater – including an 0-10 mark last fall. Lows was recently promoted to administrative assistant to SD superintendent Dr. John Mehrle, effective for the 2013-14 school year.

“I'm a proponent of building a culture of good student-athletes,” said the new Knights boss, known for his strong work ethic and disciplined approach as a 16-year SD employee and coach of various sports at several levels.

ST. LEON – Bloomington South didn’t get a hit off East Central pitcher Paige McQueen until the fourth inning in Tuesday’s Class 4A softball sectional semifinal.

Both teams, having played extra innings in Monday’s first round, combined for just seven hits. But the Panthers bunched their three in the home fourth inning for the 3-0 victory.