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NAPPANEE — Preslee Caouette’s last swing as a Fairfield High School softball player flew over the fence.
That solo home run on a low and inside 1-0 pitch from Tippecanoe Valley senior Dalynne Bussard to lead off the top of the seventh inning proved to produce her team’s lone run as the Falcons fell 3-1 Thursday, May 28, in the Class 3A NorthWood Sectional 20 championship game.
Caouette popped her sixth homer of the 2026 season to left field, crossed the plate and was escorted to the dugout by her jubilant teammates.
Following Caouette’s circuit clout, University of Indianapolis recruit Bussard fanned the next three batters — sending her game total to 15 (five of the looking variety) and season K-count to 196 — and closed out the victory that propelled the Brian Barger-coached Vikings (15-9) to the third sectional title in program history and first since 2023 while denying the Falcons (22-7) their sixth sectional crown. Fairfield last reigned in 2021.
“She pitched really well,” Falcons coach John Skibbe said of Bussard, who gave up five hits, no walks and threw 66 of 84 pitches for strikes. “You’ve got to give her credit. We didn’t have good at-bats. We took some pitches we needed to hit and swung at some bad pitches. Once (Bussard) got in that rhythm, we really struggled even putting the ball in-play against her.”
Said Barger of Bussard’s pitch mix, “We threw a lot of rise balls tonight. Then the second time around we tried to get them on some off-speed and get them out on the front foot.”
Tippecanoe Valley went up 3-0 with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
With one out, freshman Minda Shriver doubled to left and senior Gabriella Gonzalez reached on an infield single. Both scored on Bussard’s two-out single to right.
The Vikings tallied the game’s first run in the fourth inning.
Bussard led off with a single to center, moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by K.C. Shriver and later scored on junior Kaitlyn Threlkel’s two-out single to left.
Shortstop Shriver robbed sophomore Avilah Spencer of a hit in the sixth inning when she speared a line drive.
Barger, who is in his second stint at Tippecanoe Valley and has also coached at Wawasee and Warsaw, and his Vikings will host a one-game regional against Plymouth Sectional winner John Glenn (20-9) at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2.
Junior Madison Jones (6 innings, 3 runs, 6 hits, 5 strikeouts, 1 walk; 59 of 93 pitches for strikes) went the distance in the circle for Fairfield.
Tippecanoe Valley left four runners (two in scoring position) while Fairfield stranded four (three in scoring position including sophomore Jayna Copen at third base in the fifth inning after she doubled to left field and moved to third on a passed ball).
The Tippecanoe Valley win streak moved to four while the Falcons’ streak ended at seven. The second game of that Fairfield streak was a 17-12 win on May 16 in Akron. The teams combined for 24 hits — 15 for the Vikings — in that one. Bussard pitched three innings. Jones did not pitch for Fairfield.
Going into Thursday, the Falcons were averaging 11.1 runs per game and the Vikings 7.7.
Skibbe said he will miss his two seniors — third baseman/catcher Caoutte and shortstop/outfielder Lilly Yoder.
“They made softball fun for everybody,” Skibbe said. “They made sure that kids were included. They really made the team this year and that’s not easy to do.
“Team culture is so important and that’s how you build the program. We had a really good year.”
“This team is amazing,” Caouette said. “The culture is great. It’s going to go down in the books for me as a team to remember. They’re so supportive. They’re just by my side for everything.”
Said Yoder, “This team is just special to me. We have a really close connection. I’m definitely going to miss Preslee a lot. She’s one of my best friends. I’m definitely excited to see where this (group of players) goes (in the future).”
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PREP SOFTBALL
NorthWood Sectional Championship
Fairfield 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 1 — 1 5 1
Tippecanoe Valley 0; 0; 0; 1; 2; 0; x — 3 6 0
Records: Fairfield 22-7, Tippecanoe Valley 15-9.
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That solo home run on a low and inside 1-0 pitch from Tippecanoe Valley senior Dalynne Bussard to lead off the top of the seventh inning proved to produce her team’s lone run as the Falcons fell 3-1 Thursday, May 28, in the Class 3A NorthWood Sectional 20 championship game.
Caouette popped her sixth homer of the 2026 season to left field, crossed the plate and was escorted to the dugout by her jubilant teammates.
Following Caouette’s circuit clout, University of Indianapolis recruit Bussard fanned the next three batters — sending her game total to 15 (five of the looking variety) and season K-count to 196 — and closed out the victory that propelled the Brian Barger-coached Vikings (15-9) to the third sectional title in program history and first since 2023 while denying the Falcons (22-7) their sixth sectional crown. Fairfield last reigned in 2021.
“She pitched really well,” Falcons coach John Skibbe said of Bussard, who gave up five hits, no walks and threw 66 of 84 pitches for strikes. “You’ve got to give her credit. We didn’t have good at-bats. We took some pitches we needed to hit and swung at some bad pitches. Once (Bussard) got in that rhythm, we really struggled even putting the ball in-play against her.”
Said Barger of Bussard’s pitch mix, “We threw a lot of rise balls tonight. Then the second time around we tried to get them on some off-speed and get them out on the front foot.”
Tippecanoe Valley went up 3-0 with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
With one out, freshman Minda Shriver doubled to left and senior Gabriella Gonzalez reached on an infield single. Both scored on Bussard’s two-out single to right.
The Vikings tallied the game’s first run in the fourth inning.
Bussard led off with a single to center, moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by K.C. Shriver and later scored on junior Kaitlyn Threlkel’s two-out single to left.
Shortstop Shriver robbed sophomore Avilah Spencer of a hit in the sixth inning when she speared a line drive.
Barger, who is in his second stint at Tippecanoe Valley and has also coached at Wawasee and Warsaw, and his Vikings will host a one-game regional against Plymouth Sectional winner John Glenn (20-9) at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2.
Junior Madison Jones (6 innings, 3 runs, 6 hits, 5 strikeouts, 1 walk; 59 of 93 pitches for strikes) went the distance in the circle for Fairfield.
Tippecanoe Valley left four runners (two in scoring position) while Fairfield stranded four (three in scoring position including sophomore Jayna Copen at third base in the fifth inning after she doubled to left field and moved to third on a passed ball).
The Tippecanoe Valley win streak moved to four while the Falcons’ streak ended at seven. The second game of that Fairfield streak was a 17-12 win on May 16 in Akron. The teams combined for 24 hits — 15 for the Vikings — in that one. Bussard pitched three innings. Jones did not pitch for Fairfield.
Going into Thursday, the Falcons were averaging 11.1 runs per game and the Vikings 7.7.
Skibbe said he will miss his two seniors — third baseman/catcher Caoutte and shortstop/outfielder Lilly Yoder.
“They made softball fun for everybody,” Skibbe said. “They made sure that kids were included. They really made the team this year and that’s not easy to do.
“Team culture is so important and that’s how you build the program. We had a really good year.”
“This team is amazing,” Caouette said. “The culture is great. It’s going to go down in the books for me as a team to remember. They’re so supportive. They’re just by my side for everything.”
Said Yoder, “This team is just special to me. We have a really close connection. I’m definitely going to miss Preslee a lot. She’s one of my best friends. I’m definitely excited to see where this (group of players) goes (in the future).”
------------
PREP SOFTBALL
NorthWood Sectional Championship
Fairfield 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 1 — 1 5 1
Tippecanoe Valley 0; 0; 0; 1; 2; 0; x — 3 6 0
Records: Fairfield 22-7, Tippecanoe Valley 15-9.
Continue reading...
