CARMEL, Ind. -- Nikki Adams hit one a single home run during her entire senior season at Lake Central High School.
She holds the school career and single-season doubles record, but isn't a slugger.
Adams stood in the batters box with the bases loaded against the Miss Softball winner Brooke Boetjer on Saturday in the North-South All-Star game in Carmel. One swing on the first pitch and Adams had her first grand slam.
Those four put the North up by five in the first inning of an 8-0 victory. The South won the second game of the doubleheader 3-0 as Adams was responsible for a quarter of the runs scored all day. She was named MVP.
"I'm shocked that I got it," Adams said about the award. "It felt pretty cool to hit if off of her because I knew she was up for Miss Softball and then to find out she won and I hit it off her, it was pretty awesome. Hitting that home run was probably the best way to end my high school career."
Lake Central coach Jeff Sherman, who was a finalist for Coach of the Year and was one of three coaches leading the North, was also surprised by the shot to left-center field. Adams will attend Indiana University next year, but her softball career will officially end after playing travel ball this summer.
Lake Central coach Jeff Sherman, who was a finalist for Coach of the Year and was one of three coaches leading the North, was also surprised by the shot to left-center field.
"For her to finish with that grand slam in the all-star game kind of was the icing on the proverbial cake," Sherman said.
The moment, however, was the worst part of the day for Boetjer. She was named Indiana Miss Softball during the break in-between the two games. Boetjer, originally an Arizona State commit, will play for the Hoosiers next spring, but her competitive nature was on full display after giving up six runs on eight hits in three innings of the first game. She started Game 2 donning the white shirt awarded to Miss Softball and retired the side 1-2-3, including two strikeouts.
"I started off nervous ... after that I had a wake-up call," Boetjer said. "It was just like I didn't show up last game, I have to show them how I can really play and show them that I really did deserve this."
Boetjer started off a one-hit, no-run effort by the South pitching staff. She's used to wins after her South Putnam team went 102-4 during the past four years, including an active 56-game win streak, back-to-back 2A state titles and an undefeated 2012 season.
"It means the world to me to No. 1 have a player win Miss Softball," said South Putnam coach Chris Jones, who coached the South and was named Coach of the Year. "To win Coach of the Year is very humbling. It's a great honor not only for myself and my assistant coaches, but also for my players.
"Without them, I wouldn't get this award. That's just a tremendous accomplishment for them."
