All four opening round games of the Ninth Region softball tournament were called early due to the “run rule” in which the winning team runs away with the game.
Cooper (25-10), the 33rd District runner-up, blasted seven runs in the top of the fourth inning and rolled to a 15-o win over 35th District champion Notre Dame (13-11).
In the semifinals on Monday Cooper faces the 36th District champion Highlands Bluebirds (24-14) at 11:30 a.m. The Bluebirds downed Villa Madonna 15-0 in four innings.
The 34th District champion Dixie Heights Colonels (22-6) take on the 33rd District champion Ryle Lady Raiders (19-14) at 1:30 p.m. Dixie dispatched Newport Central Catholic 10-0 in five innings while Ryle took care of Beechwood 11-0 in five innings.
For Cooper, junior Kendall Blau (12-4) earned the win pitching into the fifth inning and striking out two, walking one and allowing just three hits. Senior Hanna Hollis finished the game allowing just one hit.
Sophomore second baseman Ava Scott went 2 for 4 with a double, two RBI and one run scored. Senior center fielder Amber Chaney went 2 for 5 with one RBI and two runs scored and senior catcher Gweny Wessling went 2 for 4 with an RBI. Junior left fielder Claire Poage went 2 for 4 with two RBI and one run scored.
Eighth grade right fielder Ainsley Scroggie had two RBI and scored twice for Cooper. Sophomore Maddie Childress had three RBI. Junior first baseman Emily Schmeltz scored three times on three walks.
The top of the fourth for Cooper started when Dylan Scott reached on a Notre Dame error. She stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before Schmeltz walked and stole second. Blau then reached landing a bunt on a fielder’s choice scoring Dylan Scott and moving Schmeltz to third. Eighth grader Sadie James ran for Blau and wound up scoring twice. Schmeltz scored and James moved to second on a wild pitch to put Cooper up 2-0.
“We got a big bunt down. Sometimes the small things like that put pressure on the defense,” said Rusty Scott, Cooper head coach. “We had a few big hits that inning. Hopefully, we continue this. It seems like someone different steps up every time. Nobody worries about themselves. We move on as a group whoever does the job.”
Scroggie then drew a hit by pitch and Wessling singled to load the bases and sophomore Kailey Milburn ran for her. One out later, Poage singled to right scoring James and Scroggie to give Cooper a 4-0 lead. Chaney then singled to score Milburn to make it 5-0 Lady Jaguars. Ava Scott then came through with a single to score Poage and Chaney to finish off the seven-run inning.
Notre Dame put runners at first and third in the bottom of the inning. But Cooper recorded a double play to end the threat. Junior left fielder Tori Danneman grounded back to Blau. Blau threw to Schmeltz to get her and Schmeltz threw across the diamond to junior Ashley Chaney at third. Notre Dame senior infielder Morgan Huston broke home. But Ashley Chaney threw to Wessling to tag Houston before she scored.
“I think it really kept us alive right there,” Ashley Chaney said. “I knew I had to turn it quick because it was a close play at first. But I think our defense played really well.”
Childress then came through with a big single with two out in the top of the fifth to score Schmeltz and James. That gave Cooper a 9-0 lead.
“I just wanted to come out, put the bat on the ball so we could get (the runners) in,” Childress said. “Every time (a new pitcher) comes in, we’re making sure we talk to each other. That way we know what to expect when we go up there. We want to fight the whole, entire time so that’s what I was trying to do.”
The Lady Jaguars then sent 10 hitters to the plate in the top of the sixth scoring six runs to make the final score. Cooper led 14-0 seven batters into the inning.
This marked the final game for three Notre Dame seniors in Huston, Addison Mack and pitcher Cam Steinbrunner. The three still helped the Pandas to a ninth straight district championship.
“They’ve been with us a long time – most of them five or six years,” said Joe Stephenson, Notre Dame Head Coach. “Addie came in as a freshman. They just continued the tradition of Notre Dame softball. The three of them grew up a lot this year and they did a pretty good job leading the team overall. They’re high school girls. They have their ups and downs. But for the most part, I couldn’t be more proud of the three of them.”
Notre Dame had two errors to one for Cooper. The Lady Jaguars scored seven unearned runs off the Panda errors. Defensively, Cooper did not make as many throws to third or home when runners were almost to the bases allowing other runners to move up.
“There are a lot of situations we practice. Defensively, we try to be extra aggressive,” Coach Scott said. “Offensively, we try to be extra aggressive. We hope to shut down the aggressive running on our end. There are things we do daily. One of the things is quick hands. If we have a play at first base, quick hands isn’t all about turning two. It’s about making a quick throw to first then snapping to third. All the girls showed quick hands (in the bottom of the fourth). We were able to get an out from it.”
Cooper is in the region tournament for just the second time in the 14 years as a school. The Lady Jaguars lost to Boone County in the region title game last year.
Highlands 15, Villa Madonna 0 (4 innings):
The Bluebirds (24-14) knocked off the Vikings (19-11) scoring at least three runs in all four innings. They are back in the region semifinals for the first time since 2019.
Junior Carly Cramer (6-2) pitched the first three innings striking out four and allowing just one hit. Eighth grader Kaitlyn Dixon pitched the fourth inning striking out two and allowing one hit.
Highlands batted .600 (15 for 25) overall. Eighth grade second baseman Morgan Pompilio went 3 for 3 with three RBI and three runs scored. Eighth grade right fielder Cam Markus went 3 for 3 with a double, RBI and three runs scored. Eighth grader Payton Brown went 2 for 2 with one RBI and scored once. Sophomore center fielder Bailey Markus went 2 for 4 with two RBI and scored once.
Senior shortstop Anna Greenwell had two RBI for Highlands. Seventh grader Allison Meyers added two RBI and scored once.
Villa Madonna seventh grade pitcher Cam Kratzer pitched a complete game. Kratzer went 2 for 2 at the plate.
Dixie Heights 10, Newport Central Catholic 0 (5 innings):
The Colonels (22-6) knocked off the Thoroughbreds (10-11) to make it to the region semifinals for the third straight season minus the 2020 season wiped out as a result of the Coronavirus 2019 pandemic.
Senior Bri Patsel (3-0) pitched a complete game striking out eight, walking none and allowing two hits. Patsel also scored one run.
Dixie Heights batted .391 (9 for 23) overall. Senior third baseman Ava Meyer went 2 for 3 with a triple, three RBI and one run scored. Junior shortstop Ella Steczynski went 2 for 3 with one RBI and one run scored.
Sophomore center fielder Taylor Ingram batted in two and eighth grade designated hitter Sydney Schumacher scored twice. Junior catcher Becca Cundiff and sophomore second baseman Riley Hopkins had doubles.
NewCath made the region tournament for the first time since 2017. Senior center fielder Jaylin Honkomp had a double.
Ryle 11, Beechwood 0 (5 innings):
The Lady Raiders (19-14) knocked off the Tigers (15-18) to make it back to the region semifinals for the first time since winning it in 2018.
Ryle sophomore pitcher Maddie Goddard (14-8) pitched a complete game. She struck out five and walked none. Goddard went 2 for 3 with a home run, double, two RBI and scored once.
Ryle batted .536 (15 for 28) overall. Senior center fielder Grace Morgan, junior shortstop Avery Parsons, freshman catcher Laney Schuster, junior first baseman Grace Tranbargar and junior left fielder Emily Zmurk had two hits each. Schuster doubled twice. Parsons doubled and scored twice. Morgan doubled, scored twice and batted in one. Tranbarger doubled and scored once. Junior Lerin Moreland tripled and scored twice.
Beechwood batted .250 (5 for 20) overall. Junior shortstop Katie Rolf went 2 for 3. The Tigers graduate just one senior in Hallie Young.