The Conner players gathered in a tight circle after the final out, all eyes on head coach Shawn Sproles. One word cut through the celebration.
“2015!”
The response was immediate. Cheers echoing across the field.
That marked the last time the Lady Cougars earned the No. 1 seed in the 33rd District Tournament. Eleven years later, they did it again, outlasting Cooper in a 20-19 slugfest Wednesday evening in Hebron.
In a district known for its depth and parity, nothing comes easy.
“If anybody knows this district, it’s the same thing us coaches talk about,” Sproles said. “There’s going to be one team going home that could possibly win the region. This district is a nightmare, but you have to love it at the same time. You have to play each other twice, compete and play hard, but it’s definitely a grind.”
Wednesday’s matchup lived up to that reputation.
Conner delivered one of its top offensive performances of the season, while Cooper wasn’t far behind. The Lady Cougars finished 18-for-34 with a double, three triples, and two home runs. The Lady Jaguars countered by going 22-for-44 with four doubles, a triple, and a home run.
“Both teams can hit the ball exceptionally well,” Cooper head coach Lee Patsel said. “Both coaches know that, we prepare pretty well, and we know what kind of pitching both teams have. We know they’re going to hit.”
The production was spread throughout both orders.
Four Conner players recorded at least three hits, with Averie Lightner and Bre Meredith leading the way. Alexa Hamilton drove in four runs, while Meredith and Jocelyn Ortiz each went deep.
Cooper was just as dangerous.
Kinley “KJ” Johnson paced the Lady Jaguars with six RBIs, and multiple teammates added three or more. Kat Furnish and Audrey Stith each collected four hits, and Johnson accounted for Cooper’s home run.
With offense coming from every direction, the game ultimately hinged on timely stops, something neither side found easily as momentum swung inning by inning.
Despite the back-and-forth nature, Conner’s energy never wavered.
“Everything we do is from our culture,” Meredith said. “Our culture is to be hyped. Like today we had the red wig, which is one of our favorite things. One of our former players dropped it off right before the game and we were ready to go. We always come together and pick each other up.”
That mindset helped early, as the Lady Cougars built a 7-2 lead through two innings.
Cooper chipped away with a run in the third and three more in the fourth, but Conner answered with four of its own to maintain control at 11-7.
The game flipped in the fifth, when the Lady Jaguars erupted for seven runs. Audrey Stith, Kat Furnish, Ainsley Scroggie, Alivia Scott, Johnson, and Taylor Nevels all contributed, pushing Cooper ahead 14-11.
Conner answered in the sixth.
Bre Meredith tied the game at 14 with a home run, continuing a day where she consistently delivered in big moments.
“I was just singing my walk-up song the whole time,” Meredith said. “I wasn’t overthinking it. I just knew I wanted my pitch and wasn’t going to chase anything outside.”
Cooper regained the lead with five runs in the sixth, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.
In the bottom half, Conner had one more response.
Jocelyn Ortiz stepped in and crushed a pitch over the center field fence, a go-ahead home run that proved to be the difference.
The blast not only capped the wild victory, but also locked up a key postseason spot.
Conner (14-3) improves to 5-0 in district play, clinching the one seed, with a matchup against Ryle on May 1 still remaining.
Cooper (13-5) sits at 2-3 in district play with a game against Boone County left.
Boone County is 0-5, while Ryle stands at 3-2 after the Lady Raiders defeated the Lady Rebels 16-2 the same evening.
MORE PHOTOS: Provided by Charles Bolton
LADY COUGARS 20, LADY JAGUARS 19
COOPER — 301-375-0 — 19-22-4
CONNER — 520-436-x — 20-18-4
RBI — (Con.) Hamilton 4, Meredith 4, Bell 3, J. Ortiz 3, Lightner 2, Carter (Coo.) Johnson 6, Furnish 3, Nevels 3, Scott 2, Stith 2, James, Scroggie
2B — (Con.) Lightner (Coo.) James, Nevels, Scott, Stith
3B — (Con.) Bell, Hamilton, Santiago (Coo.) Furnish
HR — (Con.) Meredith, Ortiz (Coo.) Johnson
WP — Bell. LP — Spraker.
Records: Conner 14-3, Cooper 13-5