After the game, Head Coach Sarah Osborne commended the Dixie Heights softball team (12-4 overall) for everything that went well in the 11-1 win on the road against the Ryle Lady Raiders (13-12).
Dixie Heights batted nearly .500 at the plate going 14 for 30, jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the second inning and never looked back. The Colonels are 5-1 in 9th Region play and have won seven in a row.
The only thing Osborne challenged the Colonels to not let happen is letting selfishness get in the way of the team’s potential with the post-season approaching. But Osborne was not talking about a me above we mentality. The previous head coach in assistant principal Roddy Stainforth emphasized the we above me approach to the game. Osborne and her staff have made sure it’s continued.
Osborne was talking about players focusing on the negative things they do in games as opposed to the positive things that help teams win thus bringing people down. One instance could be a player going 1 for 3 at the plate and the player is down about the two at-bats she did not earn a hit as opposed to the one she did.
“I tell the girls we are our toughest critics,” Osborne said. “It’s okay to be your toughest critic. You have to compartmentalize. You can’t carry it from one play to another. That’s something you keep reminding the kids. When you coach kids, it’s easy for kids, especially in this day in age (to say) ‘Well, I didn’t do this. I didn’t do that.’ But the team was successful because this happened, this happened, this happened. It’s just a constant reminder it’s a team sport. If you don’t want to play a team sport, go play golf. Find a way to be productive. That’s all we ask them.”
Every spot in the Dixie Heights line-up had at least one hit or scored some runs in this game. Senior Bri Patsel led the way going 3 for 4 with three doubles, one run batted in and three runs scored.
“At times, we just have to learn to pick each other up,” Patsel said. “Everybody’s different. But I feel like we have a great atmosphere. I love playing the lead-off spot. When I get a hit, I feel like it fires up our dug-out. Everybody sees that. Once you have one hit, hitting becomes contagious.”
Five different Colonels had multi-hit games. Senior third baseman Ava Meyer went 2 for 3 with one RBI and one run scored. Sophomore first baseman Skylar Mitchell went 2 for 4 with a double and run scored and junior catcher Becca Cundiff went 2 for 4 with two RBI.
Sophomore pitcher Riley Hopkins (10-4) pitched the first five innings to earn the win. She struck out two, walked one and allowed three hits and one run. Patsel pitched the last two innings striking out three and allowing two hits.
Hopkins went 2 for 2 at the plate with a double and two RBI. Eighth grade left fielder Sydney Schumacher had a double and two RBI with junior shortstop Ella Steczynski adding two RBI and sophomore center fielder Taylor Ingram scoring twice.
Ingram sees a lot in the field in center. She’s aware that on routine fly balls errors can happen if a player loses focus for even one second.
“If there are runners on base, you might want to use two hands,” Ingram said. “But I think it’s really how the player is comfortable with catching the ball. It can be easier with two hands. But I prefer one.”
Ryle had three errors in this game leading to four Colonel unearned runs. Dixie Heights had two leading to an unearned Ryle run.
“We just have to come out and take care of business at the plate and in the field,” Osborne said. “If we make errors, we have to move on from them. We have to stop the bleeding as soon as we can. Don’t let them capitalize on our errors, which they didn’t so they did their job.”
Ryle did not have any player record a multi-hit game. Junior Lerin Moreland (3-3) pitched the first five innings before freshman Laci DeLauder pitched the last two. Both struck out one each.
Dixie Heights scored twice in the first inning. Patsel scored on a Ryle error and Hopkins hit a sacrifice fly to score Steczynski.
The Colonels increased the lead to 5-0 in the top of the second. Ingram reached on a Ryle error and moved to second when Cundiff singled. Schumacher sacrifice bunted them up one base before sophomore right fielder Carly Waters grounded out scoring Ingram. Patsel then doubled in seventh grade pinch runner Haley Waters before Meyer singled in Patsel.
Ryle scored its lone run in the bottom of the second. Sophomore Maddie Goddard singled and moved to third on a Dixie Heights error before junior third baseman Payton Godfrey hit a sacrifice fly to left to score her.
Neither team scored again until the fifth. Patsel doubled and Meyer singled her to third before Steczynski singled to left scoring Patsel. Hopkins then hit a sacrifice fly to center scoring Meyer to put Dixie Heights up 7-1.
The Colonels then scored four runs in the top of the seventh. With two out, Mitchell singled and advanced to second on a Hopkins single. Ingram then walked to load the bases before Cundiff singled to score Mitchell and seventh grade pinch runner Ava Niemer to put Dixie Heights up 9-1. Schumacher then smacked a double to left scoring Ingram and Haley Waters making the final score.
Dixie Heights travels to Simon Kenton (11-9) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Ryle travels to Bourbon County (8-13) on Friday at 6 p.m.
Cooper 17, Bishop Brossart 2 (4 innings):
The Lady Jaguars (19-5) bounced back from the home loss Monday to down the Lady ‘Stangs (8-12) in non-region play in Union.
“They played their game,” said Rusty Scott, Cooper Head Coach. “They took the approach we teach. They were aggressive. They weren’t back on their heels at all. They played loose. That’s probably the biggest thing.”
Cooper scored 10 runs in the bottom of the second to go up 12-0. The Lady Jaguars ended it with five in the bottom of the fourth. Senior catcher Gweny Wessling ended with a two-run home run to center for her fourth home run of the season.
Bishop Brossart had three errors to none for Cooper. The Lady Jaguars scored six unearned runs.
Cooper batted .381 (8 for 21) overall. Wessling finished 3 for 3 overall with a double, home run, three RBI and three runs scored. Eighth grade right fielder Ainsley Scroggie finished 2 for 2 with one RBI and two runs scored. Senior shortstop Dylan Scott scored twice and drove in two with junior Kendall Blau batting in two.
Blau (7-2) pitched the first two innings to earn the win. She struck out one and walked one. Senior Hanna Hollis came in and pitched the last two innings striking out three and walking one.
“In general, I can’t speak for (Blau and senior Amber Chaney). But for myself, I wasn’t as well (Monday) plus (Highlands) came out swinging,” Hollis said. “I think that’s something we probably should have done. I think we took a more careful approach, which is not always the right thing. In terms of pitching, we were really focusing on trying to hit our spots and trying to get into the right mentality to constantly put runs on the board.”
Bishop Brossart did not have any players with multi-hit games. But eighth grade left fielder Rachel Shewmaker had a double.
Cooper plays host to Conner (9-6) on Thursday at 5 p.m. Bishop Brossart plays host to Calvary Christian (8-12-1) at 4:30 p.m.
Highlands 18, Dayton 1 (4 innings):
The Bluebirds (15-10) won their fifth in a row scoring six unearned runs off five Dayton errors and yielding none off one error.
Highlands started two eighth graders and two seventh graders on the infield. Seventh grader Alli Meyers started at shortstop and senior Anna Greenwell moved to center field.
“I was a little nervous at first,” Meyers said. “After the first few innings, I got used to it and just relaxed.”
Junior Carly Cramer (3-2) earned the pitching win in the complete game. She struck out three, walked none and allowed two hits and one earned run. Cramer went 3 for 4 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored.
Highlands batted .482 (14 for 29) overall. Five players had multi-hit games. Meyers went 2 for 3 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored. Junior left fielder Kennedy Baioni went 2 for 4 with two runs scored. Greenwell went 2 for 3 with two RBI and three runs scored. Senior right fielder Hailey Parks went 2 for 3 with two RBI and one run scored. Eighth grade catcher Payton Brown had a double and three walks. Eighth grade first baseman Kaitlyn Dixon also had three RBI.
“We actually set up the pitching machine real slow,” said Milt Horner, Highlands Head Coach. “That helped. That actually allowed us to be patient. We really hadn’t tried that before.”
Highlands plays host to Bellevue (7-5) on Saturday at 10 a.m. then Grant County at 1 p.m. Dayton (5-11) travels to Holmes (7-11) on Friday at 5 p.m.
Scott 11, Mason County 2:
The Lady Eagles (12-12) downed the Lady Royals (12-13) for the second time this year.
Freshman Addy Riley (2-1) pitched a complete game. She struck out one, walked three and allowed two unearned runs. Riley went 2 for 2 with a double, four RBI and one run scored.
Scott had three errors to two for Mason County. The Lady Eagles scored five unearned runs.
“Since I was doing well pitching, everyone was up ready to play her position,” Riley said. “We just kept going and pushed through. I think that’s our biggest thing. When one of us gets us started, we all get excited. We want to follow.”
Scott batted .500 (16 for 32) in the win. Sophomore second baseman Ivy Cochran went 3 for 5 to lead the way as seven players recorded at least two hits. Freshman center fielder Elise Manhardt went 2 for 2 with two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored. Junior right fielder Kayla Overman went 2 for 4 with a triple, two RBI and one run scored.
All nine positions had at least one hit or scored at least one run. Freshman catcher Emerson Morman went 2 for 4 with two runs scored. Sophomore first baseman Emma Scribner went 2 for 3 with a double, one RBI and two runs scored. Junior shortstop Audrey Griffin went 2 for 4 with one run scored.
“They just had to be patient and not swing at the high pitches,” said Lisa Brewer, Scott Head Coach. “They put some hits together and scored some runs. The more the game went on, the more confident they got at that.”
Scott plays host to Campbell County (8-7) at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in a crucial 37th District game.
Baseball:
Highlands 8, Conner 7:
The Bluebirds (15-10) trailed the Cougars (23-5), 7-3 entering the bottom of the seventh at Highland Park. But they scored five runs to win it. Junior Nathan Hartle drew a bases-loaded walk to score senior Connor Schwalbach to win it.
Highlands hit .464 (13 for 28) overall. Senior third baseman Jack Schneider led the way going 3 for 3 with two doubles and two RBI. Schwalbach went 2 for 3 with one RBI and three runs scored and junior shortstop Jack Hendrix went 2 for 4. Senior center fielder Camden McAtee went 2 for 3 with two runs scored. Hartle had a double and junior right fielder JP Donelan had three RBI.
“I think our guys stuck to the plan offensively, especially in that last inning not chasing borderline pitches and not getting ourselves out,” said Jeremy Baioni, Highlands Head Coach. “We talk so much about approach and having a plan. We executed a couple some things. We got thrown out on the bases three times. I kept telling the guys to be aggressive. But we have to be smart. We’re fortunate enough to walk away with a win.”
Senior Austin Eads (1-2) took over in the sixth and pitched the seventh to earn the win. He struck out one and allowed one unearned run. Sophomore Zach DeSylva started and pitched into the sixth inning. He struck out three, walked one and allowed five earned runs.
“We have great depth on this team,” McAtee said. “A number of guys contribute. Zach DeSylva pitched a good game.”
The Bluebirds committed three errors to none for the Cougars. Conner scored two unearned runs.
Sophomore Rex Richter started for Conner pitching six innings. He struck out three, walked one and allowed three earned runs. Senior Tyler Parsons (1-2) pitched the seventh taking the loss. He walked three.
The Cougars just .226 (7 for 31) in the loss. Senior infielder Blaise Bowman went 2 for 3 with an RBI to lead the way. Junior Brody Mangold had two RBI and senior designated hitter Cody Crawford scored twice with senior shortstop Gage Testerman doubling.
Highlands plays host to Cincinnati St. Xavier (9-9) on Thursday at 5 p.m. Conner travels to Dixie Heights (16-7) at 5 p.m.
Simon Kenton 1, Boone County 0 (9 innings):
Simon Kenton junior pitcher Gavin Riley and Boone County senior Tyler Krohman threw eight innings in a pitchers duel. Krohman struck out nine and walked one with Riley striking out six to go with two walks.
But in the top of the ninth, Simon Kenton senior Peyton Fernbach belted his third home run of the season on a 1-1 count off Boone County senior Jason Williams to lift the Pioneers (14-9) to the win over the Rebels (8-14).
“When I hit it, I thought it was a double,” Fernbach said. “I looked for the fastball and tried to put it in play.”
Senior Hunter Parks pitched the ninth for Simon Kenton. The Pioneers turned a double play in the inning.
“If you get your fastball going, your in command,” Riley said. “My fastball and curve ball worked well. I was hitting my spots.”
Both teams had six hits and one error. Senior Tom Lind went 2 for 4 to lead Simon Kenton and senior catcher Tommy Switzer went 2 for 4 to lead Boone County.
“We just hung in there,” said Troy Roberts, Simon Kenton Head Coach. “(Riley) was on and Krohman was on with his curve ball, fastball just filling up the zone on both of them. It was a tough game at the plate for us. As soon as (Fernbach) hit it, we knew it was gone.”
Simon Kenton travels to Cooper (8-17) on Thursday for a 5:30 p.m. game. Boone County plays host to Beechwood (21-3) at 5 p.m.
Ryle 8, Holy Cross 7:
The Raiders (12-11) had a memorable comeback against the Indians (8-18).
Senior first baseman Brayden Stewart lined a single to center scoring sophomore Tate Cordrey and junior Jake Wieland to win it for the Raiders. Stewart went 2 for 4 to lead Ryle at the plate with three RBI and one run scored.
Ryle batted .333 (9 for 27) in the win. Junior Roman Furuta and senior Tristan Musson had doubles. Furuta batted in two with junior center fielder Landon Sawyer scoring twice.
“It wasn’t the prettiest. But It was great to get a win on Senior Day,” said Patrick Erickson, Ryle senior outfielder. “We kept our heads high earning every hit and run one at a time. We just don’t ever give up. Our coaches are proud of us for doing that.”
Senior Tyler Sickmeyer (2-1) earned the win pitching the last three innings. He struck out two and walked two. Ryle freshman Andrew Roach threw the first pitch before senior Parker Coop took over. Roach had a tough injury in a junior varsity game against Conner absorbing a line drive. Ryle Head Coach Joe Aylor said he spoke to Roach’s mom about giving Roach the start to gain some confidence as he begins his rehab.
Holy Cross batted .357 (10 for 28) overall. Junior Jared Davis went 3 for 4 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored. Junior shortstop Riley Harber went 2 for 5 with two RBI and freshman center fielder David Wilson went 2 for 2 with one RBI and two runs scored.
“One of the biggest improvements I saw (from Holy Cross) was throwing strikes,” Aylor said. “We talked to our guys. If you throw strikes in high school baseball, you’re going to be able to compete. They made some plays and kept things close. That’s what happens at this time of year. It’s a good tune-up for what to expect come postseason.”
Holy Cross plays host to Holmes (5-18) on Thursday at 5 p.m. Ryle plays George Rogers Clark (14-11) in the Danville Admiral Classic at 8 p.m. on Friday.
Cooper 7, St. Henry 3:
The Jaguars (8-17) downed the Crusaders (13-10-1) on the road for a 9th Region win.
Junior Chase Gartner (2-2) earned the win throwing a complete game. He struck out five, walked two and allowed just four hits and three earned runs.
St. Henry had three errors to one for Cooper. The Jaguars scored four unearned runs and yielded none.
“That’s a great team over there,” said Scott Buckler, Cooper Head Coach. “I think we caught them on a swing day. We were at the top of our rotation. Chase Gartner pitched a good game. We played well behind him, got some timely hits and made some things happen.”
Cooper batted .258 (8 for 31) overall. Sophomore center fielder Connor Robinson went 2 for 4 with two runs scored. Senior first baseman Corbin Fletcher went 2 for 3 with one RBI and one run scored. Senior second baseman Emmit Sipple had a crucial single for the Jaguars.
“Getting on there was huge because we ended up scoring three runs that (sixth) inning,” Sipple said. “Anytime I’m able to do anything to be productive to help us score, I’m happy with it.”
Junior Nick Browning pitched five innings to take the loss for the Crusaders. He struck out four, walked one and allowed two earned runs. Senior Camden Fedders finished the game striking out three, walking five and allowing one earned run.
St. Henry did not have anyone with a multi-hit game. But senior right fielder Eli Meiman had a double.
Cooper plays host to Simon Kenton (14-9) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. St. Henry travels to Simon Kenton on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. game.
Scott 3, Villa Madonna 1:
The Eagles (7-19) scored twice in the bottom of the fourth to knock off the visiting Vikings (11-15).
“We threw strikes. We made plays when we had to,” said Kevin Goins, Scott Head Coach. “We had a couple timely hits. It was a pretty clean game by both teams. Often when you play a high school game in an hour and a half, things are going pretty smooth.”
Sophomore Dylan Giffen (2-2) earned the pitching win. He walked one and allowed just one hit. Junior Casey Hilbert pitched the last three innings striking out five retiring all nine batters he faced. Scott had two errors leading to the lone Villa Madonna run and the Vikings had one.
The Eagles batted .280 (7 for 25) at the plate. Senior first baseman Logan Wiehoff went 2 for 3 with a double to lead the way and sophomore third baseman Zack Sparks went 2 for 3 with one run scored. Senior outfielder Troy Grubb had an RBI triple and scored on an error at the end of the play.
“Getting a win against any team is always good, especially winning late in the season going into the postseason,” Wiehoff said. “It always helps the team build momentum up and I hope it helps us get the bats going more. We’ve been struggling at the plate lately. We’re hoping to get that into double digits in the next couple games.”
Both teams play Saturday at Noon. Scott plays host to Calvary Christian (17-10) and Villa Madonna travels to Carroll County (8-10).
Other May 4 NKY Softball Scores:
Notre Dame 5, Mount Notre Dame (Ohio) 3
Cincinnati (Ohio) McNicholas 9, Newport Central Catholic 6
Beechwood 21, St. Henry 18
Other May 4 NKY Baseball Scores:
Bellevue 7, Dayton 3
Holmes 9, Augusta 8
