SEYMOUR – Shelbyville had to wait an extra 90 minutes to get its 2024 softball season underway. The wait was well worth it for first-year head coach Megan Leffler.

Following a rain delay and field prep work, senior Cheyenne Eads pitched six dominant innings while sophomore Sydney Brown smashed her first high school home run and drove in four runs to lead the Golden Bears to a 6-0 victory.

The win was the first for the former Megan Cory, a 2012 Shelbyville graduate that played collegiately at IUPUI, who was elevated from assistant coach to head coach in August.

Eads got all the run support she needed in the top of the second inning when freshman Gracie Crafton doubled and scored on sophomore Hailey Maulden’s single for a 1-0 lead.

That lead doubled in the fourth inning when junior Anna Shearer singled and scored two batters later on senior Addysyn Wettrick’s single to make it 2-0.

Eads did not allow an Owl to reach base until the fourth inning with a walk then a single but she secured the third out with her seventh strikeout of the game.

Shelbyville opened the fifth inning with back-to-back singles from juniors Addison Stieneker and Destiney Johnson ahead of Brown (photo) easily clearing the 200-foot fence at the Seymour facility to make it 5-0.

Eads, a University of Indianapolis commit, finished her season-opening performance with 10 strikeouts.

Crafton allowed two hits in the seventh inning in her varsity debut in the pitcher’s circle but did not allow a run.

Stieneker had three hits to lead Shelbyville. Johnson finished with two hits.

Taylor Stuckwisch (0-1) took the loss for Seymour (1-1). The sophomore allowed six hits and two runs in three innings of work. Peyton Underwood pitched the final four innings in relief and allowed four runs on five hits.

Shelbyville’s home opener is Saturday at 11 a.m. against Jennings County (1-0).

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