Griffith junior shortstop Natalie Vianello said she “felt pretty good” on Thursday.
So good that Vianello, who has recovered from two dislocated knees, wasn’t wearing any braces. She felt even better after the Panthers won their first sectional title since 2016.
“It’s mind-blowing,” she said. “We’ve all played together this year and worked for each other. We all wanted it really bad, so I’m really glad we accomplished it.”
Vianello hit a grand slam in the fifth inning to back sophomore pitcher Brylie Bridges‘ perfect game as the Panthers topped Bishop Noll 10-0 in six innings in the Class 3A Griffith Sectional championship game.
Neither Griffith (25-2), which advances to play in a regional on Tuesday, nor the Warriors (8-16) had a hit until the fifth inning. Freshman right fielder Camryn Von Ogden lined a single to start the fifth, and Bridges followed by launching a double over the right fielder’s head to break a scoreless tie.
Later in the inning, Vianello crushed the ball to left-center field on an 0-2 pitch with the bases loaded. Her groundout to second and her flyout to right earlier in the game were on her mind before she batted in the fifth, when the Panthers sent 10 hitters to the plate and scored six runs.
“I was thinking about my last two at-bats,” Vianello said. “My last two, I didn’t really perform the way I wanted. So I was really thinking to stay on top of the ball, and I executed how I wanted to for my team, and it worked out.”
This season has been working out well for Vianello, a three-year starter who is batting .549 with a team-high six homers, a team-high 35 RBIs, 29 runs scored and seven stolen bases.
Vianello suffered a dislocated left knee when she dove for a ball last season. She was sidelined for three-plus weeks and didn’t return until the Panthers’ sectional opener. She suffered a similar injury to her right knee on a similar play this season but said she missed only “a couple of days.”
“It’s crazy it keeps happening,” she said.
Nothing has prevented Vianello from producing, however.
“For hitting, I’ve basically been thinking about my contact point and not really thinking about doing too much — just making contact with the ball,” she said. “For fielding, just one play at a time and knowing what you’re going to do with the ball before you get it.
“This year, I’m not thinking about doing too much. Last year, I was thinking I had to do this and that for my team. This year, I’m thinking about keeping things simple.”
Griffith coach Kevin Shepard hasn’t been surprised by Vianello’s success.
“She just hits the crap out of the ball,” Shepard said. “Great leader, great player. She was the beginning of it for us.”
Bridges also praised Vianello.
“She’s a great teammate,” Bridges said. “She’s very supportive. She doesn’t get down on her teammates. She’s just great in every way.”
Bridges certainly was great for the Panthers, who defeated Bishop Noll by a combined 27-0 in two Greater South Shore Conference games and won a share of their first conference title since 2018.
“It was really nerve-wracking,” Bridges said. “Once I got out there, I was just in my zone.”
Bridges, who struck out 13, impressed Shepard.
“This game had to be hers,” Shepard said. “Her father, Jeff, he was always telling me since their 8-year-old team, I wasn’t even a coach here then, this team was going to be a state team. Almost every day since then. He passed away her freshman year. I felt his presence here.”
Griffith, which will go on the road for the regional, won five straight sectional titles from 2012 to 2016.
“Ten years,” Shepard said. “My daughter (Kailey) was on that team, and now she’s coaching with us. It’s been a long time coming. It’s a great group here. I’m really proud of them. Two years ago, we started getting better, and we’ve just kept adding every year, and next year we’re going to be even better. But we still have a road ahead of us.
“It’s been amazing this year. I never thought it would come to this. Even the games we lost were close. The camaraderie alone, there hasn’t been any drama. I couldn’t be more proud of these girls.”
