Last year, the Holy Cross High School softball team learned what belief can do in a single late‑season swing. This year, the Indians are learning what belief looks like when the magic wears off and the work begins.
A year removed from the walk‑off grand slam that stunned Highlands and delivered the first 9th Region softball title in school history, Holy Cross is back in the regional tournament with a new identity. The Indians return as the 35th District runner‑up, carrying a different perspective into the postseason.
They are no longer the surprise team riding a hot streak and a dominant pitcher. They’re a group that has lived through the aftershocks of last spring’s big moment — the expectations, the roster turnover, the growing pains. Yet they still insist belief is the program’s most renewable resource.
“Anyone on this team can make something happen at any time,” standout Kayla Fledderman said.
She would know. Her slam last May launched Holy Cross into the state tournament. But the version of the Indians returning this weekend to the 9th Region tournament isn’t just trying to recreate that moment. The Indians are trying to prove they’ve grown from it.
Holy Cross (7-19) opens regional play Monday at 1:30 p.m. against 34th District champion Dixie Heights (15-15) at Thomas More University.
Highlands also returns to the regional tournament as the eight-time 36th District champion, and the contrast between the Bluebirds and Indians is sharper this time around. Highlands, at 30‑6 with a 12‑0 regional record and a true ace in senior Kaitlyn Dixon, once again enters as the regional favorite. The Bluebirds are riding a 14-game winning streak and have won 23 of their last 24 games. They have won three of the last four 9th Region crowns.
Dixon is the kind of weapon few in the region possess in what has been a down year for pitching. A Thomas More recruit, she’s piled up a 24‑3 record, a 0.76 ERA and 268 strikeouts in 166 innings. The Bluebirds have allowed just 60 runs all season while hitting .394 with 17 home runs.
Highlands plays Conner (19-11) Monday at 4:30 p.m. at Holmes. Sunday’s other quarterfinals feature Notre Dame Academy (12-11) vs. Villa Madonna (16-11) 11 a.m. at Thomas More and Ryle (20-11) vs. Newport Central Catholic (10-9) 2 p.m. at Holmes. The semifinals are Tuesday at Thomas More beginning at 2 p.m. The final is Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Thomas More.
Holy Cross arrives after falling to Notre Dame Academy in the 35th District tournament finals. The Indians lost last year’s ace, Evie Thomas, to graduation and Georgetown College, and the young pitching staff has taken its lumps — 407 runs allowed, a 15.51 team ERA, and plenty of hard lessons.
But the Indians can hit. They’re batting .361 as a team with extra‑base pop, and they’ve shown flashes of the same stubborn resilience that defined last year’s run.
“The girls realized we had to step up after losing Evie,” coach Courtney Turner said. “We’ve had two young pitchers step up and take on the challenge of pitching and they’ll get better.”
This year, belief looks different. Last season, it meant trusting a freshman with a .197 average in the biggest moment of the season. Turner sent Fledderman to the plate knowing something others didn’t. The coach’s faith relied on trust without immediate empirical proof — conviction built from daily observation of an improving hitter. Turner accepted the moment by acknowledging the odds while refusing to be ruled by them.
Now belief is about the accumulation of growth across the lineup. Fledderman is a catalyst, hitting .377 after spending part of the season above .400 and all offseason working to get better.
“A big part of it is confidence,” Turner said. “She was hitting ninth last year and now she hits leadoff.”
Sophomore first baseman Maddie Urlage has transformed into one of the region’s most dangerous hitters, jumping from last season’s .383 to .600 in the cleanup spot.
“She was hitting the ball right at people last year,” Turner said. “But this year she is finding the holes.”
Urlage leads the team with 41 RBI and has struck out just twice all season.
“Just putting the work in practice and out of practice,” she said. “All the girls have improved. Kayla’s gotten a lot better. She’s doing great.”
Sophomores Zoey Baker (.471), Jadyn Jones (.339) and Maya Balsley (.316) have all taken steps forward. Junior Paige Lachmann is hitting .411 with 13 doubles. Freshman Charlie Ankenbauer is at .313. Freshman Jayden Cox — four doubles, a triple, and a knack for getting on base — is poised to become this year’s breakout if the moment finds her.
Notre Dame, Conner, Ryle and Dixie Heights are the only 9th Region teams to hold Holy Cross under six runs in a game this season. The Indians have hit everyone else. And with the exception of the four seniors lost from last year’s roster of 18, nearly everyone is back.
“We lost four big seniors,” Turner said. “But we’ve had four girls really step up with Baker, Fledderman, Lachmann and Urlage. They have all played well.”
Holy Cross still talks about last year’s grand slam, but not as a fairy tale. Turner uses it as a teaching tool. “Anything can happen, so be prepared. It’s something we talk about all the time,” the coach said. “We talked about it before beating Beechwood.”
That Beechwood win — a 13‑12 comeback in the district semifinals after trailing 6‑2 in the sixth — was a reminder that belief isn’t nostalgia. It’s muscle memory. It also served notice that last year’s Holy Cross magic may still be alive and well.
“Our spirits are definitely up after beating Beechwood,” Fledderman said. “We’re ready.”
The path resets Sunday. Holy Cross is chasing another miracle, but it’s also defending a standard. The Indians are the reigning 9th Region champs until they’re not.
“I always tell the girls to play it out and see what happens,” Turner said. “Just keep believing.”
The 8th and 10th Region softball tournaments also are getting underway. The 8th Region quarterfinals are played at multiple locations on Monday beginning at 4 p.m. The lone local qualifier is 32nd District champion Simon Kenton which plays Woodford County at 4 p.m. Monday at Thomas More. Tuesday’s semifinals at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Thursday’s 6 p.m. final are at the University of Louisville. Oldham County is defending champ.
The 10th Region tournament begins Monday at Bracken County Middle School with quarterfinals starting at 2 p.m. Semifinals are Tuesday beginning at 5 p.m. and the final is Wednesday at 6. 37th District champ Bishop Brossart is back in the tournament after a year absence. 37th District runner-up Campbell County is also back after making it to the regional semifinals last season. Harrison County is defending 10th Region champion.
Regional winners advance to the state tournament with play beginning June 4 at University of Kentucky’s John Cropp Stadium.