The Charlestown Lady Pirate Softball team (18-4 & 7-2 MSC) began Tuesday evening’s showdown with conference leader Salem eight days ago.  The game rain delayed in the bottom of the fourth last Monday, with the difference being a Lady Lion solo home run in the third.  Eight days the weight of the match-up loomed, especially with the Lady Pirates who have experienced the recent Softball and Basketball showdowns between the two groups of competitors.  Charlestown and Salem resumed the game Tuesday evening, the Lady Lions with a 1-0 lead and two away in the bottom of the fourth for the Lady Pirates.  Charlestown continued to make adjustments for Salem’s pitcher, Brooke Miller; who continued to deliver a hard-to-hit-solid ball.  Two singles and two errors in the top of the fifth allowed Salem to balloon its lead to 4-0 heading into the fifth inning.  Cline doubled in the sixth, but Charlestown was unable to plate any runs through six complete; however Lady Pirate Pitcher Carly Price zeroed in on what was working and held Salem at bay in the sixth and seventh.  Price pitched the complete game, striking out five and walking one Lady Lion.  The bottom of the seventh, seemingly the Lady Pirates’ last chance at a share of the 2015 softball conference title was real; but it wasn’t written on anyone’s face.  Senior Kaitlynn Henning led off with a single, then Sophomore Mackenzie Smith (who finished the game four for four at the plate) singled to move Henning into scoring position at third.  Then it was the flip of a switch…. somewhere in the Charlestown dug-out.  Junior Leah Sherrill singled and scored Henning to cut the lead to three with two on base and no outs.  Juniors Carly Price and Lexi Logsdon hit back-to-back stand-up triples to plate three more runs and tie the score at four.  Logsdon, representing the winning run on third, awaited to be plated for the walk-off victory.  Salem (15-8 & 7-2 MSC) elected to make a pitching change (Kilburn); but it wasn’t enough to stop the Lady Pirate momentum.  Two batters later, with one away, Sophomore Kendall Cline smacked a shot to third base scoring Logsdon for the win.  Logsdon got a great jump off third and slid under the tag at home for one of the most aggressive steals of her career.  Charlestown’s 5-4 win forced Salem to share the Softball Conference Championship, the Lady Pirates second since 2012 and fifth all time (1996, 1997, & 1998).  Mackenzie Smith was named the Coyle Chevy, Buick, GMC and Coyle Nissan Player of the Game by CPPSB.  Charlestown has won fourteen straight when it visits Henryville (4:30 pm first pitch) on Wednesday.  Henryville is ranked third in 2A ball with a record of 24-3; which promises to be a good competitive game in advance of next week’s Sectional.  The Lady Pirates will also host Southwestern Thursday night and Brown County on Friday night for Senior Night and recognition of retiring coach Zollman.

The Charlestown Lady Pirates stepped out of conference play Monday night at Jeffersonville, winning their thirteenth consecutive game and downing the host Red Devils 9-3.  The Red Devils got off to a quick 3-0 start over Charlestown in the bottom of the first; but were then shut down by the visiting Lady Pirates the remainder of the game.  Carly Price pitched the complete game and got the win for Charlestown from the circle, improving her season record to 12-2.  Price buckled down in the second and finished strong, striking out six, and walking four.  Charlestown poured on the runs in the fourth, scoring six times and keeping the pressure on through Jeff pitching changes and adjustments.  Junior Bethany Hall led the Lady Pirates from the plate, finishing a perfect four for four, all singles and two RBI’s.  Hall got the Big Blue offense rolling in the fourth with a shot to left field.  Leah Sherrill and Carly Price both finished two for four from the plate respectfully.  Sherrill scored two runs and finished with two RBI’s, including one off a huge double to the center field wall in the top of the fifth.  Price added another RBI.  Charlestown finished the outing with 13 hits, putting a damper on Senior Night activities for the home-standing Red Devils.  The Charlestown JV team fell to thier counterparts in the night-cap, 6-1.

The Lady Pirates (17-4) now turns their full attention to finishing their rain delayed contest with Salem.  A win over the Lady Lions will give Charlestown a share of the 2015 Mid-Southern Conference Softball title, with Salem.  Tuesday’s game will pick-up where it was placed into rain delay, trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth with Kendall Cline on first and two outs.  The game will be broadcasted by Pirate Pride Sports on www.CPPSB.com and will begin at 5:30 pm with a JV match up to follow.  Charlestown has won MSC Softball titles in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2012.

Charlestown Lady Pirate Softball Head Coach Kevin Zollman has announced that he has decided to retire at the conclusion of the 2015 spring season.  Coach Zollman has been at the helm of Lady Pirate Softball since 2002, when he replaced Coach Don Carroll.  Coach Zollman has amassed an overall record of 174-145 during his fourteen seasons (not including the remainder of the current season); which includes back-to-back sectional titles in 2013 and 2014, as well as a Mid-Southern Conference Title in 2012.

Zollman’s 2015 squad (as of Sunday May 17th) has a record of 16 wins and 4 losses, is a half game from winning a share of another Mid-Southern Conference Title, and recently upset the #2 team in the state of Indiana (8-2) on their home field.  The Lady Pirates have also won both the Providence and Edgewood Invitational Tournaments this season.

The Lady Pirates will be celebrating Coach Kevin Zollman, along with their three seniors, during their final home game on Friday, May 22^nd.  All former Lady Pirate Softball Coaches and Players are invited and encouraged to attend the celebration before the game; which is scheduled for a 6pm first pitch.

Thank you Coach Zollman, your career as the Charlestown Lady Pirate Softball Head Coach has been historic; we wish you a great retirement after years of hard work, dedication, and leadership.