By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

There was something very familiar, and at the same time quite different, about seeing Crystal Tipton at the annual Cross Creek Classic.

Along with Rich Niebrugge, she was instrumental in starting the annual event, which has turned into a popular softball match-up between “cross creek rivals” Teutopolis and St. Anthony.

But since 2013, Tipton was dressed in different colors and coaching out of a different dugout as coach of the Lady Bulldogs.

Friday night, however, was totally different.

This time, Tipton was decked out in navy blue and gold and leading the squad from Teutopolis, having taken over that softball program when Niebrugge retired following the 2019 season after guiding the Lady Shoes for 17 years.

She is now 1-0 in her new position, after her Lady Shoes pounded out 15 hits and posted a 14-6 victory under the lights at Evergreen Hollow Park.

“It’s easy to get up for this game,” Tipton admitted. “It was definitely emotional for me. I know most of the girls on St. Anthony. I worked with several of them since they were little. But I’m very happy where I’m at and what we’ve got here in Teutopolis.”

And she was happy early and often Friday night.

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Saturday was not a good day for the Teutopolis Lady Shoes in Charleston.

It was opening day for Apollo Conference action and the Lady Shoes returned home with a pair of losses – losing 9-1 in the opener and 11-1 in the nightcap.

T-Town did get nine hits in the first game, but tallied just once. The Lady Shoes also received a pair of walks, but stranded eight runners.

The only score for THS came in the fourth. Tia Probst, who had three hits in the game, had a lead-off double and then scored on a base hit by Estella Mette.

The Lady Trojans used a six-run fourth to take control of the contest. Karah Moore scattered the nine hits over seven innings of work. She also had eight strikeouts.

Probst also pitched all seven innings for Teutopolis and took the loss. She allowed eight hits and nine runs, while walking eight and striking out four.

In the second game, Charleston scored five runs in the third and three more in the fifth to build an 8-1 lead.

T-Town actually took a 1-0 lead in the second. With two outs, Danielle Sarchet doubled and scored when Summer Wall followed with a base hit. But the Lady Shoes only had two other hits – a two-out triple by Emily Konkel in the first and a two-out double by Alaina Helmink in the fourth.

Courtney Gibson pitched the first three innings and got the loss. She allowed four hits and six runs, while walking one and striking out three. Jordan Goeckner pitched the final three innings.

The Lady Shoes are now 3-4 overall and 0-1 in the Apollo Conference. Only the first game of the doubleheader counted in the conference standings. They will return home Tuesday to play Casey-Westfield.

Tia Probst and Courtney Gibson combined to toss a one-hitter, their teammates scored five runs in the opening inning and the Teutopolis Lady Shoes rolled to a 10-0 softball victory at home Thursday over Dieterich.

Probst pitched the first two innings and Gibson took care of the final three frames to get the win. Probst allowed the one hit, a one-out single by Madilyn Brummer in the first inning, and struck out five. Gibson allowed a walk and a hit batsman in her three innings of work.

The Lady Shoes scored all the runs they needed in the opening inning, collecting five of their 10 hits and pushing five runs across the plate.

Emily Konkel got things started with a one-out single. She stole second and third base and scored on an error. Before the inning was over, Kaylee Niebrugge had an RBI triple, Estella Mette and Anna Buhnerkempe added run-scoring singles and another run scored on a wild pitch.

The Lady Shoes scored a single tally in the third when Lexie Niebrugge led off with a home run, added another run in the fourth and then ended the game with a three-run fifth. Buhnerkempe drove in one with a base hit and Mallory Stone then blasted a pitch over the leftfield fence for a game-ending two-run homer.

T-Town improved to 4-4. The Lady Shoes will now play in the Cross Creek Classic Friday. They will face St. Anthony, beginning at 7 p.m. at Evergreen Hollow Park in Effingham. They will then travel to Vandalia on Saturday.

Courtney Gibson threw a two-hitter and her teammates provided plenty of support as the Teutopolis Lady Shoes posted a 13-0, five-inning victory Tuesday afternoon at Altamont.

Gibson gave up only a first-inning double to Bailey Teasley and a fourth-inning triple to Macey Christy. She didn’t walk a batter and struck out 10, while throwing just 63 pitches in five innings of work.

The Lady Shoes scored the only runs they needed, pushing across three in the first innings. Two runs scored on an error and third on a ground ball. The Indians committed six errors in the game, which accounted for 10 unearned runs.

T-Town took total control with four runs in the fourth and six more in the fifth.

An error, walk and base hit loaded the bases in the fourth and Erin Althoff then ripped a triple, driving in all three runners. Danielle Sarchet followed with an RBI double to increase the lead to 7-0.

Then in the fifth, the Lady Shoes combined four hits, a walk and two errors to push six more runs across the plate.

Sarchet finished with three hits and three RBI, while Emily Konkel and Kaylee Niebrugge both had two hits to lead the 10-hit attack. Althoff also drove in three runs.

Teutopolis, now 3-3, will open Apollo Conference play at home Saturday against Charleston.