The 4A State Championship game will feature Center Grove and Leo.
Take a look at each team's postseason run to the State Finals.
Center Grove
The Center Grove Trojans have had an impressive 2019 as they are 27-3 and went 7-0 in Metropolitan Interscholastic play.
Center Grove started their run winning over Franklin Central 2-0 and then beating Martinsville 6-4. In the Sectional Championship, the Trojans battled Franklin going eleven innings winning 1-0.
In the Regional Championship, the Trojans won over Columbus North 7-0 to advance to Semi-State.
The Trojans would then take on Cathedral in the first game at Semi-State taking a 3-0 victory. Center Grove then played Brownsburg to advance to the 4A State Championship game.
Center Grove took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. A leadoff Lexi Fair home run to left got things started for the Trojans.
In the top of the third Center Grove add two more runs to their lead. With two outs, Abby Herbst doubles to left and later scored on an RBI single from Lexi Fair.
Jillian Ransdell and Piper Belden both singled to start the top of the fifth inning for Center Grove. The Trojans took a 6-0 lead when Abby Herbst hit a three-run shot to center.
Brownsburg was able to score one run in the seventh inning as Center Grove’s pitcher Abby Herbst was dominant. Herbst went seven innings allowing six hits, zero earned runs while striking out three.
Leo
The Leo Lions have had an exciting year as they are 25-1 overall and went 6-1 in Northeast 8 Conference play.
Leo first started their run to State by defeating Fort Wayne Carroll 8-2 and then beat East Noble 4-3 in the Sectional Championship.
In the Regional, the Lions won over Homestead 4-0 to continue their run to the State Final.
The Lions would have to go nine innings to defeat Penn in the first game of Semi-State 2-1. Leo would play Crown Point to see who would advance to the 4A State Final game.
Leo would take an early one-run lead in the top of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Aaliyah Andrews reached on an error and would later score on an RBI single to left from Kennedy Shade.
In the top of the fourth, Leo would add on three more runs to take a 4-0 lead. Kennedy Shade singled, and Ashley Miller doubled to put two runners in scoring position. A fielder’s choice loaded the bases for the Lions and then a double to center from Kiley Patterson drove in three runs.
Back-to-back singles from Ashley Miller and Haley Hines lead off the top of the sixth inning. Daniels would come in to score on a Kiley Patterson single making the score 5-0. Leo would tack on another run on a Morgan Stuckey RBI single.
Leo would then put five runs on the board in the seventh inning. Aaliyah Andrews led off with a single, then Ali Davis was walked allowing Kennedy Shade to drive in a run on a single. The Lions would then take a 9-0 lead as Haley Hines hit a two-RBI single to left. Another two runs would score as Olivia Simcox doubled to left to be up 11-0.
Crown Point would score one run in the bottom of the seventh as Leo’s pitchers Ashley Miller and Mackenzie Rust dominated in the circle. Miller went six innings, allowing only one hit, zero earned runs while striking out five and Rust went one inning, allowing one hit with two strikeouts.