The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds (10-6) and Dixie Heights Colonels (11-6) baseball teams met for the second of two games in the Doc Morris Invitational in the scorching heat in Crestview Hills.
The teams wound up experiencing the thrill of victory and agony of defeat going 1-1 on the day. The second game for both teams went by quickly as Dixie Heights prevailed 2-1 in a pitchers duel between Dixie Heights sophomore Brach Rice (3-0) and Newport Central Catholic sophomore Connor Seiter. Both retired the side in order three times and walked one each in complete games.
“I just tried to throw strikes and let the defense behind me make plays,” Rice said. “That’s about all you can really do. You just have to trust in your team and you’ll be alright.”
NewCath committed the game’s lone error in the bottom of the fourth. But it did not lead to a Dixie Heights unearned run.
Dixie Heights outhit NewCath, 4-3 and some small ball turned out to be the difference in the game. Six runners reached for Dixie Heights and four did for NewCath.
“We need to get more production at the plate or we’re going to bring up some (junior varsity) kids,” said Chris Maxwell, Dixie Heights Head Coach. “We’ve had good pitching and defense. That’s what we’re looking at. I know some of these kids can hit. I think they’re basically thinking too much at the plate instead of just see the ball, hit the ball.”
The Colonels scored first in the bottom of the third. Senior center fielder Brennan Staton doubled, moved to third when senior right fielder Brendon Cullen singled and scored when sophomore second baseman Luke Abeling grounded out.
Newport Central Catholic senior shortstop Luke Wiles tied the game in the top of the fifth with a solo shot to left field. But the Colonels manufactured the game-winner in the bottom of the sixth. Senior shortstop Jay Flynn singled and senior designated hitter Logan Wilson singled him to third bringing up junior first baseman Owen Lawrence. Lawrence hit a fly to center scoring Flynn before Rice retired the side in the top of the seventh to preserve the win.
“It was nice. I knew I needed to get the ball in the outfield so we could win this game,” Lawrence said. “It was real fun. It’s about being a team player around here. If you have to bunt to move the runner over, it’s what’s best to help the team.”
The Thoroughbreds nearly took the lead in the top of the sixth. Junior Garrett Schoulties singled and junior center fielder Luke Runyon sacrifice bunted him to second. After freshman right fielder Ian Mann grounded out, Schoulties tried to score. But Rice fired a strike to junior catcher Ethan Bosley nailing him.
NewCath knocked off Paintsville (14-9) in the first game at Dixie Heights in extra innings. The Thoroughbreds outhit the Tigers, 5-3. Paintsville had two errors to one for NewCath. No one had any extra-base hits for the Thoroughbreds. Wiles and Schoulties scored the NewCath runs with Seiter adding an RBI.
“(With) one-run games, it’s obviously a lot better to be on the upper side than the under side,” said Jeff Martin, NewCath Head Coach. “As a coach, you just want to put yourself in a position to make a play. We made one extra play in the first game and were one play shot in the second game. (It was a) good day. There were a lot of plays that a lot people don’t pay attention to that can determine the outcome of the game. We call that the grind. But the kids did their job. I’m proud of these kids.”
The Thoroughbreds won the game in the bottom of the eighth. They loaded the bases with one out. Mann smacked the first pitch into left field to win the game for NewCath.
“All I was thinking was to put the bat on the ball and hit it in the air to at least get (Wiles) in,” Mann said. “I knew the infield was in. When I hit it, it just felt great. It was my first walk-off at this school.”
Wiles pitched seven innings for NewCath striking out 12, walking four and allowing three hits and no earned runs. Junior Matthew Landrum earned the win pitching the top of the eighth. He struck out one and walked one.
The Colonels started the day with a 5-1 loss at the Cincinnati (Ohio) Elder Panthers from the Greater Catholic League.
Dixie Heights outhit Elder, 8-6. But the Colonels had four errors to none for Elder leading to two unearned runs.
Wilson (1-2) took the pitching loss for the Colonels. He struck out six and walked five.
“We mistaked the game away at Elder. Mistakes are going to happen. But if you let them explode into a lot of runs with two out, that’s a problem. The Elder game was a decent game.”
Flynn, senior right fielder Mark Dugan and senior center fielder Brennan Staton all went 2 for 3. Dugan and Staton had doubles and Staton scored the lone Dixie Heights run. Bosley added an RBI double.
Dixie Heights plays host to Scott (5-13) on Monday at 5:30 p.m. NewCath plays host to St. Henry on Monday at 5 p.m.
Baseball:
Conner 8, Mason County 4:
The Cougars (19-2) knocked off the Royals (7-11) in their second game of the Doc Morris Invitational in Hebron.
Conner’s offense made up for the defensive miscues. The Royals had four errors leading to four unearned Cougar runs and two Conner errors led to three unearned Mason County runs.
“The top of Mason County’s lineup is pretty good,” said Brad Arlinghaus, Conner Head Coach. “They took advantage of some early walks we had to put up some runs. But our offense was just good enough to get us some runs. Once we got the lead, we kept the lead.”
Conner batted 296 (8 for 27) overall. Junior third baseman Blaise Bowman went 2 for 3 with a double and senior left fielder Cody Crawford went 2 for 4 with two doubles, four RBI and one run scored. Senior catcher Briggs Yeunger had a double and two RBI. Senior shortstop Gage Testerman walked three times and scored twice. Junior right fielder Brayden Stidham added two runs.
Junior Ayden Lohr (4-0) pitched six innings to earn the win. He struck out six, walked two and allowed five hits and one earned run. Senior Tyler Parsons pitched the seventh striking out three and walking one.
“It’s probably one of the funnest and best teams I’ve played with,” Lohr said. “The team chemistry is incredible just hearing our dugout in games. The fans hear it. We all hear it. It messes with pitchers’ heads and helps us win games.”
Arlinghaus said the Cougars did boot the ball some. But he credited second baseman Rex Richter and senior first baseman Ethan Hite on Conner’s right side for making plays saving some hits and runs.
The weather hit the 80s. It had been cold for most of the season.
“(Saturday) was the first time we’ve seen baseball weather,” Arlinghaus said. “It’s nice not to have to bundle up. You can soak in some sun and watch some baseball.”
Conner travels to Cooper (6-11) on Tuesday. Game time is 5 p.m.
Beechwood 4, Walton-Verona 3:
The Tigers (15-1) edged the Bearcats (13-6) stranding runners at second and third base in the top of the seventh in the Doc Morris Invitational.
Both teams had nine hits and two errors. The errors led to one unearned run each.
Freshman Chase Flaherty (1-0) earned the win in his first start of the season. Flaherty struck out four, walked two and allowed five hits in five innings.
“I knew I could do it. I just needed to get over the nerves,” Flaherty said. “After the first inning, I felt more confident in my pitches and threw strikes.”
Senior Jack Briney took over for Beechwood in the sixth striking out one, walking one and allowing two hits and two earned runs before senior Brett Holladay pitched the seventh striking out one and allowing two hits.
“It was kind of perfect for us,” said Kevin Gray, Beechwood Head Coach. “(Beechwood Assistant junior varsity) Coach (Keith) Hightchew and (Assistant Freshman) Coach (Mark) Clary at the JV level see them more than we do obviously. We had a doubleheader with Highlands the other day and (Flaherty) threw the ball well. Coach (Hightchew) has been telling us he’s been throwing great. He earned his shot and took advantage of it.”
Holladay went 3 for 3 with a double to lead Beechwood at the plate scoring twice and plating one. Junior right fielder Cameron Boyd went 2 for 4 with a triple and two runs scored. Senior second baseman Sam Cottengim had a double and junior catcher Brice Estep batted in two.
Junior first baseman Lance Coleman went 2 for 4 with one double, one RBI and one run scored for the Bearcats. Sophomore center fielder/pitcher Julian Dixon also went 2 for 4.
Sophomore Mason Howard (3-2) pitched five innings striking out two, walking two and allowing eight hits and three earned runs. Dixon pitched the sixth allowing one hit.
Beechwood travels to Nicholas County (13-6) for the All A Sectional game on Sunday at 3 p.m.
Batesville (Indiana) 5, Walton-Verona 3:
The Bearcats dropped the first game of the Doc Morris Invitational at Beechwood against the only out-of-state opponent on the schedule.
Sophomore Bryce Corpus (2-1) pitched a complete game in the loss for Walton-Verona. He struck out two, walked one and allowed 11 hits and four earned runs.
Walton-Verona batted .300 (9 for 30) in the loss. Senior shortstop Nick Allen went 2 for 2 scoring twice. Coleman went 2 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI. Dixon added a double and RBI.
Batesville committed three errors leading to one unearned run. Walton-Verona had one leading to one unearned Batesville run.
Walton-Verona travels to Owen County (8-10) on Monday at 6 p.m.
Covington Catholic 10, Louisville Male 7:
The Colonels (10-8) won their third in a row with a 10-7 victory over the Male Bulldogs (11-9) overcoming six errors that led to five Male runs.
Senior Luke Lenhof (3-0) earned the win pitching four innings striking out three, walking two and allowing three hits and one earned run. Junior Chris Young then took over pitching into the sixth striking out two and allowing five hits and an earned run before sophomore Charlie Dieruf finished the game striking out one.
CovCath batted .441 (15 for 34) in the win. The Colonels led 10-2 after five innings. Male scored five times in the bottom of the sixth.
CovCath had five doubles in the win. Dieruf and senior left fielder Evan Myers both went 3 for 4. Dieruf had a double, one RBI and two runs scored. Myers had two RBI and scored twice.
Junior catcher Jonathan Fitz and senior Will Burke both went 2 for 4 with one double each for CovCath. Burke had three RBI and Fitz batted in one. Senior right fielder Nick Darpel went 2 for 5 batting in two.
Highlands 7, Covington Catholic 3:
The Bluebirds (12-7) beat the Colonels (10-8) for the second time this season going up 5-1 entering the bottom of the third and never looking back at St. Henry.
Highlands senior Ryne Wiseman pitched the first two innings before senior Abe Hils took over pitching the last five. Wiseman struck out two, walked three and allowed three hits and three earned runs. Hils struck out four, walked one and allowed two hits. Highlands had no errors.
“We knew that they could swing it a little bit,” said Jeremy Baioni, Highlands Head Coach. “It was (Wiseman’s) first time on the mound this season. We didn’t want to get his pitch count too high. (Wiseman and Hils) did a good job of challenging them and keeping them off-balance. We made the routine plays to keep them from getting the big inning.”
Highlands batted .214 (6 for 28) overall and scored four runs off three CovCath errors. Junior Jack Hendrix went 2 for 4 for the Bluebirds with a triple and two runs scored and senior Mason Welsch went 2 for 3 with an RBI. Junior JP Donelan had a double, RBI and scored twice.
“Offensively, I thought they were taking too big of swings on counts where we just needed to put balls in play,” Baioni said. “But we did enough. I’m never going to complain about a win. CovCath is normally one of the top programs up here.”
A number of the Highlands players have played in the rivalry game with the Colonels. Donelan said the team has a way of staying on an even keel during the game.
“Coach Baioni is always talking about keeping talk on us in the dugout,” Donelan said. “We can talk whenever so long as we’re supportive. It’s about keeping our chins up instead of making fun of or taking jabs at the other team. That helps us the next time we go out on the field because we have each others’ backs and we’re all going to get it done together instead of just making it one person trying to solve the pitchers. The team is trying to beat the other team no matter who we’re playing that day.”
Sophomore Brad Zekl (0-3) took the loss for the Colonels pitching into the third inning striking out three, walking three and allowing two hits and two earned runs. Sophomore Eli Wagner finished the game striking out four and allowing one earned run, no walks and four hits.
CovCath batted .200 (5 for 25) in the loss. Junior Max Lawrie led the Colonels going 2 for 3 with a double and two RBI. Fitz added a double.
Highlands travels to Beechwood (15-1) on Monday at 5 p.m. CovCath plays host to Simon Kenton (10-7) at 5:30 p.m. Monday.
Louisville Male 5, St. Henry 0:
The host Crusaders (11-6-1) lost for a third straight game against the Bulldogs in the Doc Morris Invitational. Male has handed the defending state champion Trinity Shamrocks their only loss to a Kentucky team.
Male outhit St. Henry, 7-2. Junior center fielder Matthew Resing had a double for the Crusaders. Neither team committed any errors.
Senior Connor Albrinck (1-2) started for the Crusaders striking out three in three innings before senior Matthew Miller pitched the next three striking out four. The two combined to allow seven walks, five earned runs and seven hits before junior Sam Martin pitched a scoreless seventh.
St. Henry travels to Newport Central Catholic (10-6) on Monday. Game time is 5 p.m.
Campbell County Wins Twice:
The Camels (10-8) snapped their four-game losing streak with two home wins in the Doc Morris Invitational.
Campbell County downed the Kings (Ohio) Knights, 6-5 in the first game. Kings had three errors to one for Campbell County. The Camels scored four unearned runs off those Knight errors and yielded none off their lone error.
“Losing streaks are never fun,” said Scott Schweitzer, Campbell County Head Coach. “I always say winning hides lot of things. Losing makes it all show up at the forefront in everything. We haven’t hit well. We’ve left a lot of guys on base. (On Saturday), we made the most of the base runners we had. Kings is a well-coached, good team.”
Senior Trent Sorgenfrei (3-0) picked up the win throwing five innings striking out one, walking seven and allowing two hits and three earned runs. Senior Sam Reynolds took over in the sixth before freshman Zach Franzen finished the game striking out two to record his second save of the season.
Campbell County led 6-0 after four innings. But the Knights scored five in the top of the sixth to make things interesting.
Campbell County batted .318 (7 for 22) in the game. Junior second baseman Jake Gross led the way going 2 for 3 with a run scored. Junior first baseman Braden Kramer homered driving in two. Senior center fielder Greg Vineyard and junior shortstop Aydan Hamilton had double.
“We were just trying to do way too much (offensively during the losing streak),” Gross said. “Just getting on base any way you can just really helps because it boosts confidence. Then you get energy going. The hits will start to flow once you get more energy.”
The Camels then dominated the 6-13 Holy Cross Indians, 13-0 in five innings scoring one unearned run off four Indian errors. Campbell County had none in the game.
The Camels batted .500 (11 for 22) in the win. Junior first baseman Evan Clark went 3 for 3 with three runs scored. Senior left fielder Caeleb James went 2 for 3 with two runs scored. Hamilton went 2 for 2 with a double, three RBI and three runs scored. Franzen and sophomore catcher Parker Schweitzer had doubles. Parker Schweitzer doubled in two.
Sophomore Chris Bramley (2-0) earned the complete game win for Campbell County. He struck out seven, walked none and allowed just two hits.
“I played some new guys against (the Indians) and gave some guys time off as the second part of a doubleheader,” Coach Schweitzer said. “We let some freshmen kids get their first at bats. Holy Cross had some miscues that cost them some runs. But our young guys played good defense. In the seventh inning against Kings, we threw a guy out stealing second to end the game.”
Campbell County plays host to Cooper (6-11) on Monday at 5 p.m. Holy Cross travels to Bishop Brossart (11-8-1) on Monday at the same time.
Lexington Lafayette 3, Cooper 2:
The Jaguars (6-11) came up short in the Doc Morris Invitational game at Scott seeing their three-game winning streak snapped against the Generals (11-8).
Cooper batted .333 (10 for 30) in the loss with five doubles. Junior first baseman Chase Gartner went 2 for 3 with two doubles for the Jaguars and senior left fielder Corbin Fletcher went 2 for 3 with two doubles and a run scored. Junior Jack Keeney finished 2 for 3 with one RBI and sophomore right fielder Mark Nowak went 2 for 4 with a double.
Senior Jake Jennings (1-4) took the tough loss for the Jaguars pitching six innings striking out six, walking four and allowing six hits and one earned run. Lafayette scored two unearned runs off the lone error in the game.
Cooper travels to Campbell County (10-8) on Monday. Game time is 5 p.m.
Frederick Douglass 12, Boone County 2:
The Broncos (16-5) downed the Rebels (5-12) at Simon Kenton in the Doc Morris Invitational. This marked the seventh straight loss for the Rebels.
Frederick Douglass outhit Boone County, 11-6 and scored two unearned runs off five Rebel errors. The Broncos had one error leading to one Rebel run.
Boone County did not have any multi-hitters in the game. But senior catcher Tommy Switzer doubled.
The Rebels travel to Ryle (9-9) on Tuesday in a 33rd District seed game at 5 p.m.
Western Hills (Ohio) 4, Scott 0:
The Mustangs shut out the host Eagles (5-13) in the Doc Morris Invitational.
Scott committed two errors leading to three Mustang unearned runs. Western Hills had one error.
Western Hills outhit Scott, 9-3. Junior designated hitter Leo Brown went 2 for 2 to lead the Eagles.
Sophomore Gunner Bleha (1-2) pitched six innings for Scott striking out 10, walking two and allowing seven hits and no unearned runs. Junior Tyler Rabe pitched the seventh inning striking out two, walking one and allowing two hits and an earned run.
Scott travels to Dixie Heights (11-6) on Monday for a 5:30 p.m. game.
Softball:
Dixie Heights 9, Harrison (Ohio) 7:
The Colonels (8-4) fell behind 4-0 against the Wildcats in the top of the first. But Dixie Heights battled back to tie the game at 6-6 in the top of the fifth. After falling behind 7-6, Dixie Heights scored three times in the bottom of the sixth to win the game.
Eighth grader right fielder Sydney Schumacher scored on an error when senior second baseman Bri Patsel put it in play. Seventh grader Haley Waters wound up at third and Patsel at second. That’s when senior third baseman Ava Meyer came through with a clutch two-run single scoring Waters and Patsel.
Sophomore pitcher Riley Hopkins (6-4) earned the win in the complete game. She struck out eight, walked two and allowed 15 hits and six earned runs. But Hopkins went 1 for 3 at the plate scoring a run.
“When we’re in tough situations, we just go out there and do our jobs,” Hopkins said. “We have to take a deep breath and do what we do. (The 9-7 lead) gave me a bit of relief. I didn’t feel like I was in a tough situation. If I’m loose, then the fielders are loose.”
Harrison did lead off the top of the seventh with a double. But Hopkins retired the next three batters to finish the game striking out two of them.
Harrison had two errors to one for Dixie Heights. The Colonels scored two unearned runs to one for the Wildcats.
“It’s something we talk about all the time,” said Sarah Osborne, Dixie Heights Head Coach. “If we get down, we just have to fight back and chip away at the lead. When we play Harrison, we always have one bad inning. We got that really bad inning out in the first inning so we just had to dig our way back. That’s what the girls did. They found ways to get on. They found ways to get on and did well with situational hitting. They didn’t buckle. They kept fighting.”
Dixie Heights batted .357 (10 for 28) overall. Meyer finished 3 for 4 with a double, four RBI and one run scored. Mitchell went 2 for 3 with a double and two RBI. Patsel scored three runs and Waters scored twice.
Dixie Heights plays host to Little Miami (Ohio) on Tuesday. Game time is 6:30 p.m.
Boone County 8, Henry County 5:
The Lady Rebels (7-9) ventured to Eminence and pulled off a huge win over the Ladycats (11-5) from the 8th Region.
Both teams committed three errors. The Lady Rebels scored three unearned runs to two for the Ladycats.
Boone County batted .357 (10 for 28) in the game. Senior Grace Adams pitched for Henry County. Boone County Head Coach Andy Petridis said she relies on her rise ball. Boone County has seen pitching like that including the likes of Grant County freshman Brianna Knochelman.
“It was a nice, gritty win,” Petridis said. “At the plate, we got the ball in play. We were disciplined and made adjustments to the speed. After the first inning, we told the kids you lay off the (rise ball). If you make her throw down in the zone, it’s just a matter of timing. Our record is not the prettiest. I can also say we’ve gone against a lot of speed. I’m not overly concerned about speed as I am movement because we don’t get to see a lot of pitchers with a lot of movement. Movement is a lot harder to hit. I don’t care what anyone says. Once you get (speed) timed up and it’s not moving a whole lot, it’s like hitting in the batting cage.”
Sophomore second baseman Amariana Sweet went 3 for 4 with two RBI and one run scored for Boone County. Sophomore third baseman Josie Hollingsworth went 3 for 4 with two RBI and one run scored. Junior shortstop Harper Kinman went 2 for 4 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored. Senior center fielder Mia Nixson scored twice and walked twice with junior catcher Kailey Richardson batting in two.
“I think we definitely came together as a team,” Kinman said. “We definitely have each others’ backs more than we did at the beginning of the season. I definitely try to see as many pitches as I can to get down the line-up and get on so that we can keep the energy going throughout the line-up.”
Freshman Dani Wright (2-3) earned the pitching win for the Lady Rebels. She struck out five, walked seven and allowed three earned runs and three hits.
“One hit was a wind-aided home run on a change-up,” Petridis said. “If you cut the walks in half, I’d tell you she pitched a great game. Defense did a nice job.”
Boone County plays host to Pendleton County (8-5) on Monday. Game time is 6 p.m.
Cooper, Ryle, Campbell County Finish 2-1 in Jerry Puckett Cardinals Showcase:
The Cooper Lady Jaguars (11-4) and Ryle Lady Raiders (11-10) played two downstate opponents before facing the Campbell County Camels (6-6) in the final games at George Rogers Clark. Campbell County had beaten the hosts Friday.
Ryle knocked off Fern Creek, 7-5 and Fleming County, 11-2 both in six innings in the time-limited games. Ryle outhit Fern Creek, 13-9 and neither team committed any errors.
Sophomore Maddie Goddard pitched the first two innings against Fern Creek striking out one, walking one and allowing five hits and four earned runs and went 2 for 2 at the plate. Junior Lerin Moreland (3-2) finished the game allowing four hits and one earned run.
Freshman catcher Laney Schuster homered and doubled against Fern Creek going 2 for 3 with four RBI and one run scored. Junior third baseman Payton Godfrey went 3 for 4 with two RBI and two runs scored with senior center fielder Grace Morgan going 2 for 4 with a double and run scored.
Moreland also picked up the win against Fleming County. She struck out one, walked none and allowed three hits and one earned run. Sophomore Zoe Coop finished the game striking out two.
Ryle had three errors to two for Fleming County. The Lady Raiders had four unearned runs to one for the Panthers.
Ryle batted .444 (12 for 27). Schuster went 3 for 3 with three doubles, one RBI and one run scored. Junior second baseman Aaliyah Kaseke went 2 for 4 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored. Junior shortstop Avery Parsons went 2 for 4 with two RBI and three runs scored. Junior left fielder Emily Zmurk went 2 for 2 with a run scored.
“I didn’t really know what to expect going in. I’ve never played Fleming County or Fern Creek,” Kaseke said. “I was expecting good teams, which they both were. I was a little nervous. After the first couple innings, we saw what they like to do, got used to it and it wasn’t too bad.”
Cooper lost its first game 3-1 to Madison Central. The Lady Jaguars had two errors to none for the the Lady Indians.
Senior Amber Chaney (6-1) took the loss allowing three earned runs, two walks and three hits. Senior Hanna Hollis pitched the seventh striking out one, walking one and allowing one hit.
Cooper batted just .125 (3 for 24) in the loss. Chaney went 2 for 3 with a run scored for the Lady Jaguars.
But Cooper rebounded to defeat Fern Creek, 10-2 in six innings. Junior Kendall Blau (4-2) pitched five innings striking out three, walking one and allowing seven hits and two earned runs. Hollis pitched the sixth inning.
Cooper had one error to three for Fern Creek. The Lady Jaguars scored two unearned runs to none for the Tigers.
Cooper batted .357 (10 for 28) against Fern Creek. Chaney went 2 for 3 a double, triple, three RBI and two runs scored. Junior infielder Emily Schmeltz went 2 for 3 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Lexi Hamblin added a double.
Campbell County edged Ryle, 4-2 in the final game for the Lady Raiders. The Camels had two errors to one for the Lady Raiders. Ryle scored the only unearned run of the six-inning game.
Junior Paige Stewart started the game pitching three innings striking out one, walking one and allowing one earned run. Stewart also went 2 for 3 at the plate. Junior Alex Leicht pitched the last three innings striking out two.
Campbell County finished .375 (9 for 24) at the plate. Senior left fielder Maddie Kramer went 2 for 3 with one RBI and one run scored. Junior first baseman Emily Nadeau hit a two-run home run for the Camels and eighth grade third baseman Hope Hamilton hit a solo shot in the top of the fifth.
“We practice every day a game is cancelled just to keep in a rhythm of things,” said Bella Bastin, Campbell County senior outfielder. “We’re starting to click at some things and really just getting together as a whole. I think it helps our coaches on the sidelines whenever we make a mistake, they’re like, ‘Alright. Here is what you did. You know what you have to do to fix it. Keep pushing.’ That helps a ton. (Kremer and I) are really excited for the rest of the season. I’m just happy I’ve gotten to spend my time playing softball for Campbell County.”
Freshman Laci DeLauder (0-1) pitched a complete game for Ryle. She struck out four, walked two and allowed four earned runs.
Ryle batted .259 (7 for 27) at the plate. Parsons went 2 for 3 and Maddie Goddard went 2 for 3 with a double and one run scored. Junior first baseman Grace Tranbarger hit a solo home run and Godfrey added a double.
“We hit the ball well in the first two games,” said Jarret Goddard, Ryle Head Coach. “I was very pleased with how we were able to put balls in play and hit it hard. In the last game, the pitchers were a little bit slower than the first two games so my girls had to sit back more. But playing three games in this heat back-to-back-to back, our girls aren’t used to that. They wore out. But I was very proud with how they fought that last game.”
Cooper shut out Campbell County, 12-0 to end the day for both teams in four innings. The Lady Jaguars hit .500 (12 for 24) in the game. Chaney went 3 for 3 with a double, two RBI and three runs scored. Senior shortstop Dylan Scott hit a three run-home run for Cooper batting in four and scoring once. Schmeltz went 2 for 3 with a double and two runs scored.
“I was pleased with how we played on the whole,” said Rusty Scott, Cooper Head Coach. “We hydrated the girls before games. We hit the ball well against Fern Creek and Campbell County. We only had a few good hits against Madison Central.”
But the offensive outburst came from junior third baseman Ashley Chaney. She finished 2 for 3 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored.
“We usually bat for Ashley Chaney,” Rusty Scott said. “She’s very valuable defensively for us. She can play just about everywhere but pitcher for us.”
Ashley Chaney helped with another error-free game for Cooper to two for Campbell County. Cooper scored one unearned run. Kremer had the lone hit for the Camels.
“Defense is a routine I have down,” Ashley Chaney said. “You have to believe the ball is going to be hit to you every time. You have to go after it.”
Amber Chaney pitched the first two innings and Hollis pitched the last two striking out four. Stewart started for Campbell County pitching into the second before Leicht finished it.
“It’s a matter of us getting out and getting into a consistent flow of games,” said Sandi Kitchen, Campbell County Head Coach. “We’re not used to the heat. It’s not an excuse. Cooper hit everything in the second game and we couldn’t get anything going (offensively). We had some nice hits against Ryle.”
Ryle and Cooper play at Ryle on Tuesday at 5 p.m. Campbell County plays host to Villa Madonna (9-1) on the same day at 6 p.m.
Highlands Goes 2-1 in Frankfort:
The Bluebirds (10-10) opened the Capital City Showcase with a 4-0 win over the Louisville Eastern Eagles. Junior Kennedy Baioni struck out 13 and walked two in the six-inning no-hitter. Highlands had no errors behind her.
Highlands batted .273 (6 for 22) overall and scored two unearned runs off three Eagle errors. Senior shortstop Anna Greenwell went 2 for 3 with a double, RBI and two runs scored. Eighth grade second baseman Morgan Pompilio went 2 for 3 with a double, RBI and run scored. The Bluebirds
Highlands stole four bases. Eighth grade left fielder Payton Brown stole two with Pompilio and Greenwell stealing one each.
“We can compete with good teams,” Brown said. “I just feel like we need to get more confidence in ourselves as a team. A lot of people have branched out this weekend and gained the confidence to hit and they’ve kind of gotten their groove back.”
Highlands then knocked off the Shelby County Lady Rockets, 11-1 in five innings. Eighth grader Kaitlyn Dixon pitched the first four innings striking out three, walking one and allowing three hits and one earned run. Junior Carly Cramer pitched the fifth inning striking out two and allowing one hit.
Highlands batted .545 (12 for 22) in the game. Sophomore center fielder Bailey Markus went 2 for 2 with one RBI and two runs scored. Pompilio went 2 for 2 with one double, two RBI and one run scored. Baioni, Cramer and senior right fielder Hailey Parks went 2 for 3. Baioni had a double, two RBI and scored once. Cramer scored once and hit one in with Parks scoring twice. Greenwell had a home run driving in two and scoring twice.
Highlands stole five bases in the win. Parks stole three with Baioni and Markus swiping one each.
The Bluebirds finished the day with a five-inning 6-2 loss to the Oldham County Lady Colonels (24-3). Highlands had three errors leading to five Oldham County runs and Oldham County had two leading to two unearned Highlands runs.
Highlands batted .235 (4 for 17) in the loss. Baioni pitched the first two innings before Dixon and Cramer finished it.
“We used Kennedy a lot and I asked her at the beginning of the game to give us two good innings and she gave us two great innings,” said Milt Horner, Highlands Head Coach. “We were completely with them so I was extremely pleased with how they played this weekend. I’ve probably overwhelmed them with this schedule. If I had to do it again, I probably wouldn’t have scheduled this tough.”
Highlands travels to St. Henry (3-8) on Monday at 6 p.m.
Walton-Verona 10, Beechwood 0 (6 innings):
The Bearcats (8-7) had not played in a week. But they stayed the course and knocked off the Tigers (7-9).
“We were struggling without having a game all week,” said Natalie Meadows, Beechwood Head Coach. “We had some cancellations. That stunk that we had to practice every single day. But we got some practice on some things we’ve been meaning to improve on. This was a good to play and a good day to work on the things that we’ve been working on in practice this week.”
Sophomore Danielle Oldfield pitched an excellent game striking out 14, walking two and allowing just two hits. Walton-Verona had one error behind her.
“Dani always does a good job pitching,” said Lacey Alford, Walton-Verona senior catcher. “If she misses the spot, she’s always pretty close to the plate. It sometimes helps because the batter thinks it’s closer than what it is and she’ll swing and miss among other things.”
Walton-Verona batted .280 (7 for 25) overall and drew five walks. Sophomore Demi Lavon led the way going 2 for 4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Senior Audrey Pollard had a double.
The Bearcats stole eight bases. Sophomore Maya Lepping and Oldfield stole two each with Lavon, Pollard, Lavon and eighth grader Jaylen Clark swiping one each.
Beechwood committed four errors leading to seven unearned runs. Sophomore third baseman Katelynn Murphy went 2 for 3 to lead the Tigers.
Walton-Verona takes on Eminence (8-9) on Monday on the road at 6 p.m.
Scott Loses Twice in Capital City Showcase:
The Lady Eagles (6-10) ventured back to Frankfort to play twice and came away with no wins.
Scott started the day with a 14-9 loss to Central Hardin in a time-shortened four innings. Both teams had 10 hits. But three Scott errors led to three Central Hardin unearned runs.
Scott freshman catcher Emerson Morman led Scott going 3 for 3 with two doubles, two RBI and one run scored. Senior left fielder Morgan Chalk went 2 for 3 with a double, two RBI and three runs scored. Sophomore shortstop Ivy Cochran added a triple. Junior second baseman Kayla McQueen had a double and two RBI.
Scott then lost 6-5 to Shelby County outhitting the Lady Rockets, 9-3 in four innings. But Scott had two errors leading to five unearned Shelby County runs and the Lady Rockets had one leading to one unearned Scott run.
Sophomore Emma Scribner started striking out six, walking four and allowing just two hits and one earned run pitching into the third inning. Eighth grader Scarlett Cochran finished the game striking out three, walking one and allowing just one hit.
Ivy Cochran went 2 for 2 with one run scored. Chalk added a double.
Scott plays host to Harrison County (19-4) on Monday at 5:45 p.m.
Other April 23 NKY Baseball Scores:
Heritage Academy 8, Covington Latin 0
Bardstown Bethlehem 5, Bellevue 3
Paintsville 15, Holy Cross 4
Frederick Douglass 6, Bishop Brossart 0
Bethel-Tate (Ohio) 18, Holmes 0 (5 innings)
Bardstown Bethlehem 13, Calvary Christian 0
Owen County 10, Lloyd Memorial 0 (5 innings)
Bethel-Tate (Ohio) 9, Ludlow 0
Ludlow 12, Williamstown 1 (6 innings)
Pendleton County 15, Calvary Christian 6
Nicholas County 9, Villa Madonna 5
Pendleton County 8, Bellevue 6
Holmes 9, Williamstown 8 (11 innings)
Villa Madonna 8, Lloyd Memorial 6
Other April 23 NKY Softball Scores:
Augusta 15, Ludlow 0 (4 innings)
Boyle County 8, Notre Dame 1
