Highlands’ softball team happily danced in a circle before Wednesday’s Ninth Region final.
About 90 minutes later, the Bluebirds joyfully hoofed it again because they won their third straight title, a 6-2 win over Notre Dame at Thomas More University.
Highlands (27-12) thus became the first three-peat winner since Ryle did it from 2010-12. Coach Milt Horner did not pirouette, Billy Bounce or two-step, but he gleefully took a water cooler shower from an assistant coach and possibly hugged every player and maybe a few parents.
“We knew there was a target on our back,” Horner said. “We had a great start this season; we had a bump in the middle of the road, and to come back like that … is amazing.”
Highlands senior catcher Michelle Barth has been a part of all three titles.
“I don’t know if I can say there’s one nicer than the other because they’re all pretty perfect in their own way,” Barth said. “It’s bliss, it’s bliss. There’s nothing better.”
Scoring five runs in the first inning and batting around helped.
“It’s like scoring a touchdown in a football game, right?” Horner said. “You put them back on their heels.”
Barth and teammates Bailey Markus and Payton Brown were 2-for-3.
Notre Dame finished at 19-8. Pandas coach Chris Schreiber credited the Bluebirds.
“They came out and hit the ball right away,” Schreiber said. “We’ve not put ourselves in that position quite that often this year at all.”
Highlands pitcher Kaitlyn Dixon, the tournament’s most valuable player, struck out five; she finished with 25 punch outs in wins over Holy Cross, Cooper and Notre Dame. What was more – the Bluebirds avenged a 4-3 loss to the Pandas May 7 in Park Hills.
“Kaitlyn shut ‘em down,” Horner said. “Her spin pitches were working (Wednesday). That made a huge difference over the first time we played them.”
Dixon appreciated the less-stressful outing.
“I know it reassures me that my teammates have my back, which is really, really important to me,” Dixon said. “And then, it makes the rest of the game go a lot more smooth because we don’t have to stress about getting so many runs every inning.”
Notre Dame avoided the shutout by scoring two runs in the sixth inning on Ava Auberger’s two-run double.
Next for Highlands: the Seventh Region winner (Male or Assumption) in the opening round of the state tournament June 6 at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington.
In the end, Horner called Wednesday’s win “incredible.”
“Even though it’s their third one, I think everybody’s just as excited as they were in the first one,” Horner said. “It’s a big deal for these girls – the first three-peat since Ryle did it.”
BLUEBIRDS 6, PANDAS 2
HIGHLANDS — 510-000-0 – 6-11-1
NOTRE DAME — 000-002-0 – 2-6-2
Dixon and Barth; Turnpaugh and Zinser. WP-Dixon (10-5). LP-Turnpaugh (18-7). 2B-Auberger (ND), Brown (H).
Records: Notre Dame 19-8, Highlands 27-12.
All-tournament team: Maddie Urlage (Holy Cross), Riley Hopkins (Dixie Heights), Madysen Godsey (Lloyd), Mollie Sharp (Conner), Keiara Nickell (Dayton), Maddie Childress (Cooper), Ava Augberger (Notre Dame), Addi Zinser (Notre Dame), Layla Zepf (Highlands), Michelle Barth (Highlands).
Most Valuable Player: Kaitlyn Dixon (Highlands).