By Terry Boehmker
NKy Tribune sports reporter
The championship trophy that Newport Central Catholic’s softball team received after winning the 9th Region All “A” Classic title game on Saturday wasn’t the only reason coach Denny Barnes considered the victory a rewarding experience.
“They fought back and that’s what I’m proud of,” Barnes said of his team’s 13-9 win over Holy Cross at Villa Madonna Academy.
After falling behind, 9-5, in the third inning, the young NewCath team battled back to win the regional final and earn a berth in the small-school state tournament that’s set for April 30-May 1 at Jack Fischer Park in Owensboro.
The victory was a big step forward for the Thoroughbreds (8-6), who have five first-year starters in a lineup that consists of four juniors, two sophomores and three freshmen.
“We’re very young, there’s no doubt about it, but they’re coming along,” Barnes said. “That’s what’s so rewarding to me, is they keep learning. As long as they keep learning, I’m happy.”
Both teams had 10 hits in the game, but NewCath scored the most runs by capitalizing on walks and errors committed by the Indians, who have one senior, three juniors, one sophomore, three freshman and one eighth-grader in their lineup.
“They’re learning,” Holy Cross coach Lee Meeks said of his young team’s defensive struggles. “We’re giving everybody some playing time to find out who can do what and where they fit in the best. I would’ve liked it to go the other way, but things happen.”
NewCath took a 5-0 lead in the third inning of the regional final. After two walks and an error loaded the bases, freshman second baseman Jenna Fryer laced a single to left field that drove in the first two runs.
But Holy Cross scored nine runs on six hits and five errors in the bottom of the third. Junior pitcher Aleah Tucker and junior catcher Courtney Turner each drove in two runs for the Indians in that frame. The only Holy Cross batters who did not reach base were the three that NewCath junior pitcher Haley Meyers retired with strikeouts.
“It was really frustrating,” Meyers said of losing the lead due to fielding mistakes. “We just knew we had to pump each other up and get our confidence back.”
The Thoroughbreds tied the score in the fourth inning by getting four runs on just one hit. Three walks and two errors on fly balls that the center fielder lost in the sun made it a costly inning for the Indians.
NewCath scored the go-ahead run in the top of the fifth. Sophomore shortstop Lexy Breen led off with a single, stole second and got to third on a ground out. That put her in position to score on freshman outfielder Katie Kelly’s single and give their team a 10-9 lead.
“It was intimidating,” Kelly said of stepping to the plate with a chance to put her team on top. “But I had confidence and got a good pitch. It was straight down the middle (of the plate).”
NewCath scored two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh without getting a hit. Those were insurance runs for Meyers, who gave up only two hits in the final four innings to nail down the win.
Meyers was named most valuable player on the all-tournament team. In three games, she had 30 strikeouts and gave up only one walk. But the six errors her team committed in the championship game concerns coach Barnes.
“Coming into the season, I thought our offense would lag and our defense would be fine,” he said. “Well, it’s been just the opposite. The defense is what’s lagging and the offense is above what I expected. You just never know what you’re going to get.”
NEWCATH 005 412 1 – 13 10 6
HOLY CROSS 009 000 0 – 9 10 6
WP – Meyers (10 Ks). LP – Tucker. HITTING LEADERS: NC – Fryer 2 RBI; Breen 2-4 2B; Kelly 2-4; Zimmerman 2-4, Watts 2-3, 2 RBI. HC – Tucker 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Turner 2-4, 2 RBI; Broering 2-4; Sparling 2-3. RECORDS: NewCath 8-6, Holy Cross 6-7.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
NewCath – Haley Meyers (MVP), Lexy Breen, Kennedy Bin. Holy Cross – Aleah Tucker, Courtney Turner. St. Henry – Gabby Stewart. Ludlow – Maddie Morgan. Villa Madonna – Gabrielle Schulte. Newport – Kylee Orr. Dayton – Kilee Donelan. Heritage – Hayley Mullins.