[Stardust]

Youthful Gallatin County won the 8th Region All "A" Classic softball championship on Sunday with a 2-0 victory over Owen County, and coach Linda Edmondson said it's been a long time in coming.

"Our first title is a reward for me but it's really for these young kids," said Edmondson, a 1981 Gallatin County graduate who's been coaching the Wildcats for 23 years. "The girls are really excited that they finally won it."

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• More prep coverage Gallatin County, with just three seniors on the roster, advanced to the state tournament after outscoring their regional foes, 12-0. The Wildcats will play a first-round game at 10:30 a.m. April 28 in Owensboro, which is about a three-hour drive from Warsaw.

"We'll gladly make it," the coach said. "Everybody's pretty happy to be going."
Sophomore pitcher Danielle Nichelson shut down an Owen County team that had defeated the Wildcats 5-4 just three days earlier. Nichelson, who took the loss that day, was in control during the championship final. She pitched a three-hitter while striking out four for her seventh shutout of the season and second in two days.

The right-hander mixed fastballs with drop-balls, curves and lethal change-ups that the Rebels could not hit solidly. She had good location, and with confidence in her defense, let Owen County put the ball in play.

"My pitches had movement. On strikeouts, you could see their heads drop," Nichelson said. "I'm so happy we won because the last time we played them it was a barn-burner and we lost."

It was the third meeting between the rivals. Nichelson pitched a 2-0 shutout March 27. The Wildcats duplicated the score Sunday with Hannah Dossett's run-scoring single in the third inning and Kaitlyn Barnes' RBI single in the sixth.

Brooke Dossett reached on a double in the third and scored on her sister's base hit. Kelsea Satchwell singled in the sixth, stole second base and scored on Barnes' smash.

"I was glad we got the first run but you always want more than one run," Nichelson said. "When we won, it felt pretty awesome. The team got the job done together."

Gallatin's ace and Owen County's Katelyn Sutherland were locked in a pitchers duel until the Dossett sisters put together the first Wildcat run. Brooke Dossett, a sophomore shortstop, Hannah Dossett, a sophomore second baseman, and Wildcats senior catcher Hayden Feng were named all-tournament.

"They were superb," coach Edmondson said. "We had the one error but we dusted ourselves off and played well. It's definitely one of our biggest wins."

Owen County 000 000 0 -- 0 - 3 - 0
Gallatin County 001 001 x -- 2 - 7 - 1
WP: Nichelson (7-3). LP: Sutherland. Leaders: G-B. Dossett 2B. Records: G 7-3, O 8-6.