By Terry Boehmker
NKy Tribune sports reporter
The Ryle softball team has been keeping coach Craig Milburn on edge with a string of close games over the last few weeks.
The Raiders did it again Monday when they broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth inning and came away with a 3-0 win over Newport Central Catholic in the opening round of the 9th Region tournament at Newport Veterans Memorial Park.
It was the sixth consecutive win for Ryle and four of those games were decided in the final two innings.
“It’s hard on an old man and they’ve kind of been doing that to me a lot lately,” Milburn said of his team’s penchant for dramatic victories. “At this stage, a win is a win. You don’t care how you get them. You’ve just got to advance.”
Ryle will play defending regional champion Notre Dame in a semifinal game at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The other matchup will be Boone County vs. Highlands at 5:30 p.m. The winners will advance to the championship game at 6 p.m. Thursday. All of the remaining games will be played at Newport Veterans Memorial Park and not at Northern Kentucky University.
Ryle junior pitcher Kenady Carson posted the shutout in Monday’s game. She gave up five hits, but her teammates made the plays that kept NewCath from scoring.
“I couldn’t do it without them,” Carson said. “I know they always have my back.”
NewCath junior pitcher Haley Meyers also did a good job, limiting Ryle to just one hit. But the Thoroughbreds made three costly fielding errors in the bottom of the sixth inning that decided the game.
The first two Ryle batters reached base on a grounder that got past NewCath shortstop Lexy Breen and a ball that popped out of the glove of first baseman Kennedy Binn.
Both of those runners advanced on a ground out and then scored when an errant throw by Breen got past Binn. The third run crossed the plate on a grounder by Braidyn Stacey that was listed as a fielder’s choice in the scorebook.
Ryle committed its first fielding error of the game in the top of the sixth inning, but Carson retired the next two batters to seal the victory.
“A lot of our games lately have been last-inning wins like this one,” Carson said. “I think we’ve just learned to never give up and just keep playing until the last play is over.”
Binn and Meyers had back-to-back singles for NewCath in the fourth and sixth innings. But Carson got the final out in both of those innings on a pop up to the pitcher.
“She’s really come along with her pitching this year and she’s finishing strong,” coach Milburn said of Carson.
Boone County defeated Dixie Heights, 3-0, in the opening game on Monday. The winning pitcher was Olivia Jackson, who allowed four hits and had nine strikeouts.
Highlands senior pitcher Bailey Spencer gave up only one hit and had in 10 strikeouts in her team’s 9-0 win over Holy Cross. Senior catcher Shelby Graybill had three hits and drove in two runs for the Bluebirds.
Notre Dame advanced with 6-3 win over St. Henry. The Pandas scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take the lead. The big hit was a three-run homer by senior Rachel Franzen.
SOFTBALL REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS
9th Region at Newport Veterans Memorial Park
Monday
Boone County 3, Dixie Heights 0
Highlands 9, Holy Cross 0
Ryle 3, Newport Central Catholic 0
Notre Dame 6, St. Henry 3
Tuesday
Boone County vs. Highlands, 5:30 p.m.
Ryle vs. Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday
Championship game, 6 p.m.
10th Region at Harrison County High School
Monday
Montgomery County 17, St. Patrick 0
Harrison County 10, Campbell County 0
Clark County 5, Brossart 0
Mason County 8, Nicholas County 6
8th Region at Trimble County High School
Monday
Oldham County 11, Walton-Verona 0
Anderson County 11, Carroll County 0
North Oldham 5, Henry County 0
Shelby County 7, Simon Kenton 0