Bremen Edges Tecumseh for First Softball Crown
Rylee Hershberger’s fifth-inning single and subsequent error that allowed two runs to score provided Bremen with all it would need, and get, in a 2-1 victory over Tecumseh in the Class 2A championship game.
Bremen’s Kaelyn Shively and her Tecumseh counterpart, Ashtyn Green engaged in a pitcher’s duel worthy of a championship game. Shively tossed the complete game, giving up only one first-inning run and three hits. She allowed only one runner past first base the rest of the way.
Green, meanwhile, shut down Bremen’s offense through four innings, allowing only three base runners while protecting the one-run lead.
In the fifth, however, Bremen’s Caitlyn Myers led off with a single and Hannah Rowe followed by reaching on an error as she tried to sacrifice Myers over. Hershberger, a senior, followed with a line drive hit to left field that skipped over the fielder’s glove and to the fence, scoring Myers and courtesy runner Paige Thompson.
The victory for coach Mike Huppert’s Lions (29-2) marks the first state title in the sport after runner-up finishes in 2008 and in 2018. Bremen finished the season on a 17-game winning streak.
Tecumseh, playing in Class 2A for the first time under coach Gordon Wood, fell short of their fourth state title and finished 26-4.
Bremen’s Kaelyn Shively wins Class 2A Mental Attitude Award
Members of the IHSAA Executive Committee announced Kaelyn Shively of Bremen High School as the winner of this year’s Mental Attitude Award in Class 2A 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.
Shively is a three-sport athlete winning 12 varsity letters in volleyball, basketball and softball serving as a team captain in each.
Academically, she graduated fourth in her class of 120 students with a 3.98 GPA. She has been a four year-member of the school’s broadcasting team at BTV and newspaper editor for two years.
She is the daughter of Steve and Holli Shively of Bremen, Ind. and plans to study audiology in the fall at Ball State University.
She is the third Bremen athlete to win to win an IHSAA mental attitude award, second softball player (Jenni Andrews 2008 Class 2A) and the first since since Abraham Hall won the 2012 award in wrestling.
Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance presented a $1,000 scholarship to Bremen High School in the name of Kaelyn Shively.
