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Roncalli completed an undefeated, back-to-back state championship season with a 16-0 rout of Harrison in the Class 4A title game.

Leading, 1-0, the Royals blew the game open in the third inning by hitting for the cycle as a team leading to eight runs. Abby Hofmann began the parade with a two-run double, Keagan Rothrock followed with an RBI triple and, later in the inning, Tori Candler blasted a two-run home run over the center field fence.

The Royals offense finished the night with state finals records for runs, hits (18) and RBIs (16). Individually, junior center fielder Lyla Blackwell set a new mark with four runs scored.

Rothrock (28-0) did the rest, allowing only two hits and one walk, while striking out 15.

At 33-0, coach David Lauck’s team thus becomes the fifth-ever unbeaten state champion and the first since South Putnam won the 2A title in 2012. An unbeaten season in 4A hadn’t happened since Hamilton Southeastern turned the trick in 2007.

The victory was also Roncalli’s 46th-straight, leaving the Royals one game short of the state record of 47 wins set by Lake Central in 2004-05.

Harrison, coached by Kelsi Clark, finished the season at 28-2 and had their 27-game winning streak snapped.

Harrison’s Hannah Lovelace Named Mental Attitude Award Recipient
At the conclusion of the game, Hannah Lovelace of Harrison High School was announced as the recipient of the Mental Attitude Award for Class 4A 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.

Hannah just graduated as valedictorian of her senior class with a perfect 4.0 GPA while enrolled in several advanced placement and dual credit courses and earning an Indiana Academic Honors Diploma.

She is a four-year member of the Raiders softball team and has been part of three sectional and three conference championship teams. Hannah is a two-year starting centerfielder and was selected all-conference during her junior and senior seasons.  She was selected to be a captain by her teammates and earned her team’s Most Improved Award. Hannah also was a member of the volleyball team as a freshman and sophomore.

She is the daughter of Chad and Cheri Lovelace of Lafayette, IN and will attend Indiana University in the fall to study Biology.

Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance presented a $1,000 scholarship to Harrison High School in the name of Hannah Lovelace.