WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana — Andrean sophomore Jayci Alba felt prepared for the Class 2A state championship game on Saturday.
Alba’s efforts were rewarded when she hit a two-out single in the third inning.
“I was really just trying to focus on what coach Miranda (Elish) had told us at practice — swing down at the ball,” she said. “I listened to her, so I was able to produce a hit for my team to hopefully get us in a good spot.”
Batting ninth as the designated player, Alba had the only hit for the 59ers, who lost 2-0 to Tecumseh at Purdue’s Bittinger Stadium.
“Obviously we didn’t come out where we wanted to, but the coaching staff has been amazing, and they led me to the position I was in,” she said.
Andrean (23-8), ranked No. 3 in the final state coaches poll, struggled against freshman pitcher Audrey Seiler, who struck out 13 and walked only one for No. 1 Tecumseh (31-2).
“She was a great pitcher,” Alba said. “I listened to our coaches and focused in. But props to her.”
Andrean assistant Jim Menke agreed Seiler was tough to hit.
“We had a game plan that we worked on all week,” Menke said. “We started on our first day back on Monday. We had a plan, and she’s a good pitcher. It’s really hard to create some of that spin she had.”
Alba entered the game hitting .364. She had earned a midseason promotion to the varsity team as a freshman.
“To have this experience with these girls, it means a lot,” Alba said. “These are my best friends. I wouldn’t have it any other way. It would’ve been nice to come out on top, but I wouldn’t have it any other way with these girls.
“Everyone has been such a good support system throughout the whole season. You can lean on them for anything. Seeing them every day was the highlight of my day. I have so much fun with the girls and the coaches.”
Andrean junior first baseman Dani Poskin reached on an error to lead off the sixth inning and stole second with one out, and then senior third baseman Maggie Voliva walked. But the 59ers couldn’t push across a run to support junior pitcher Sadie Drousias, who allowed five hits, walked one and struck out four.
“We knew they were a good team,” Menke said. “Their record speaks for itself.”
Indeed, Tecumseh won its sixth state title, including its first in 2A, while making its fourth straight appearance in a state championship game.
Andrean reached the 2A state final for the second time in three seasons. When the 59ers finished as the runner-up in 2023, Alba was in eighth grade. She understood the aim this season.
“It was a huge goal,” she said. “We worked really hard through the preseason and in season to get here. It really shows our hard work paid off, and I’m really proud of all the girls and all that we went through to get to this. I wouldn’t want to be here with any other team.”
Calling the process “an incredible journey,” Menke said he realized early this team had potential.
“We had a really, really tough conditioning program, and they fought through it, and they really bonded as a team,” he said. “They helped each other.
“We intentionally play a tough schedule. We go to Tennessee during the preseason. We play against tough teams. We check the boxes. We play against the big schools because it will help us out. We play with grit and grind things out. Sometimes things don’t go your way in softball, and we really preach you have to play through it. That was evident today.”
