Highlands breaks through, gets state tournament win

Fourth time is the charm.

In their fourth state softball tournament trip in the last five years, Highlands finally broke through. They took down South Laurel 3-0 on Thursday morning at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington.

“I thought this team was as prepared to do this as any team I’ve ever coached,” Bluebirds coach Milt Horner said. “They showed it today.”

PHOTOS: Slideshow provided by Charles Bolton

Kaitlyn Dixon was electric once again in the circle and the Bluebirds broke through in the fifth inning for three runs.

Dixon struck out 15 in a complete game one-hitter, only facing one batter over the minimum and allowed just seven balls in play all game.

“I get a nice little tan, I just sit there and enjoy the breeze and cheer her on,” senior second baseman Morgan Pompilio said. “It’s good and bad because sometimes the ball is hit to us and we don’t have any reps for a while. But other than that it’s really nice to have her pitch and cheer her on.”

The win gets Highlands into Saturday’s quarterfinals to face the Apollo-North Hardin winner. Game time is 10 a.m. back at John Cropp Stadium.

Dixon dominant again

In a storied career that’s come with over 1,000 strikeouts and 94 victories, Dixon’s best game of her career may have come on the biggest stage.

“Definitely think so,” Dixon said of a potentially career-best performance. “I felt less stressed, having been here multiple times and over half of our starters have also been here we’ve been prepared as we can be.”

She struck out the first four batters she faced, the lone hit allowed was in the bottom of the third on a two-out double from South Laurel’s Skye Lawson. It was a lengthy at-bat in which Lawson fouled off numerous pitches and finally found a spot over Bailee Class’ head in left. No South Laurel runner reached base again from that point.

“This has got to be right up there,” Horner said. On this stage, it’s got to be her best. I’ve seen every pitch, every strikeout.”

Dixon also added two hits at the plate, the second an RBI single to left to cap off a three-run fifth.

Class no stranger to the moment

Bailee Class is the goalkeeper for Highlands, the state runner-up in soccer this year. She punched Highlands ticket to the state championship game after they defeated Central Hardin in penalty kicks in the semifinals. Class scored the game-winner in the fifth round of penalty kicks.

“Just my calm and confidence under pressure is really important. Being in those high pressure situations with soccer and with softball I feel like I’m able to settle down and not get frustrated with myself or the team. The different attitude change kind of just levels everything out.”

Class was the one who got things going for Highlands in the fifth. She deposited the first pitch of the inning from Kenzie Williams off the wall in left field. After stealing third, it was Morgan Pompilio driving in the game’s first run with a double down the third base line that deflected off Cardinals third baseman Lexi Messer’s glove.

“When I hit it I was just praying it squeezed by her,” Pompilio said. “When I got on second I looked at everyone and it just felt awesome. That feeling was great and very emotional.”

Cam Markus added a sac fly RBI to score Pompilio and Dixon helped her cause with an RBI single to left. Way more than enough for Dixon, who tossed 102 pitches on the day, 77 of them for strikes with no walks issued.

Birds breakthrough for themselves, NKY

In its 25 years of existence, the win marked Highlands third time being a winner at the state tournament, earning victories in 2014 and 2016 as well when it was a double-elimination tournament.

“Not taking anything away from those teams, but that two and out tournament was kind of weird,” Horner said. “You never knew where you really stood. We won the first game twice, but on this stage it’s so much different than being in Owensboro at a men’s softball complex. This stage is so cool for the young girls and for our fans.”

The Bluebirds are the first Northern Kentucky team to win at the state softball tournament since Notre Dame in 2017.

After their stunning loss to Holy Cross in the region final last year, coming here and losing in the first round wasn’t an option for the Bluebirds.

“When we walked off that field at Thomas More last year, we had a goal in mind and that was to do damage at state,” Horner said. “This is the first of the damage that we want to do. They’ve bought into everything we’ve asked them to do. They showed up to weights, they showed up to skills training. They showed up at the freshman games to cheer on the seventh graders. I’m so happy for the seniors, happy for the program.”

Now they’ll look to do something on Saturday that they never have, reach the state semifinals and be one of the last four standing.

HIGHLANDS 3, SOUTH LAUREL 0