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Rossville's 6th inning rally secures first state crown
WEST LAFAYETTE - Rossville High School captured the Class 1A championship in its first state finals appearance with a 2-1 victory against two-time defending champion Tecumseh on Saturday afternoon at Bittinger Stadium on the campus of Purdue University.
Trailing 1-0 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, Rossville started its winning rally with a leadoff single by Addi Gorbett. With two outs and Gorbett on second thanks to a wild pitch, Allie Elliott tied the game with a single to center field.
Sophomore Autumn Paschal lined a double to center field, bringing home Elliott with the go-ahead run.
“At that point I was just swinging for contact,” Paschal said. “We were 1-1 and if I got out we have another inning, so I was really relaxed. I just drove that outside pitch.”
Rossville’s victory completed a Paschal family sweep of state championships this weekend. Adie Paschal, Autumn’s cousin, helped Cascade win the Class 2A title Friday night.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Autumn Paschal said. “It doesn’t feel real yet.”
Melanie Pfeiffer kept hope alive for Tecumseh, which finishes 24-10, with a one-out infield single. But winning pitcher Avery Layton (16-2) induced two fly balls to center field, and Rossville celebrated the school’s first state championship in any sport since 2002 (Class 1A basketball).
The Clinton County school also claimed the 2000 Class 1A baseball title.
Rossville coach Chris Gorbett says his team didn’t feel any pressure after falling behind 1-0 in the fourth inning.
“We’ve been through this before,” Gorbett said. “We teach get in the box, have confidence and believe in yourself.”
Paschal and her teammates, who had seven hits to Tecumseh’s two, took that approach in the bottom of the sixth.
Layton struck out seven for Rossville, which finishes 28-3.
“Being here” is the memory Gorbett says he’ll take away from Saturday. “I had confidence in the girls and they have confidence in us in our ability to make decisions. And it showed.”
Tecumseh took a 1-0 lead against Layton in the fourth inning. Taylor Ash doubled to right field with one out, took third on a passed ball and scored on Jenna Donohoo’s ground out to shortstop. A diving catch by Rossville right fielder Reyna St. Myer prevented the Braves from taking a 2-0 edge.
Tecumseh got out of a first-inning jam when centerfielder Katelyn Marx’s throw home beat Rossville’s Finley Gibson. Gibson doubled to left center on the first pitch from Natalie Feather and went to third on a wild pitch with one out. Marx caught a sinking fly ball off the bat of Addi Gorbett to start the double play.
Rossville threatened again in the second inning with one out, putting runners at second and third thanks to an infield single by Avery Layton and a first-pitch double down the left field line by Allie Elliott. But Tecumseh pitcher Natalie Feather struck out the next two batters to keep the game scoreless.
Feather escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third inning with her sixth strikeout of the game. Tecumseh retired six consecutive batters going into the decisive sixth inning.
Saturday marked Jenna Donohoo’s sixth state championship game across three different sports. In addition to going 2-1 in Class 1A state softball, The Tecumseh senior scored a game-high 29 points in the 2022 Class 1A girls basketball state championship. She also was a member of two state runner-up volleyball teams.
Class 1A State Championship Records
None.
Tecumseh’s Jenna Donohoo receives Mental Attitude Award
At the conclusion of the game, Jenna Donohoo of Tecumseh High School was announced as the recipient of the Mental Attitude Award for Class 1A 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.
Jenna graduated as valedictorian of her senior class of 71 students, served as the senior class president, and was a member of the National Honor Society.
Incredibly, Donohoo played in six state championship contests across three different sports during her career, including today’s third straight in softball. She scored a game-high 29 points leading her team to the 2022 1A state title in girls basketball, and was part of two state runner-up teams in 1A volleyball 2022 and 2023. Rightfield teammate Payge Johnson was the recipient of this award at last fall’s volleyball state finals.
She was named first team All-State, All-Conference, and the team MVP the last two years in softball.
Jenna is the daughter of Libby and Todd Donohoo of Lynnville, IN and will attend the University of Evansville.
Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance presented a $1,000 scholarship to Tecumseh High School in the name of Jenna Donohoo.
