By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
It took less then five minutes for the Ryle fast-pitch softball team to take the lead against Highlands in the 9th Region championship game on Friday at Newport Veterans Park. On the third pitch, senior shortstop Maclai Branson jacked a ball over the center-field fence and the Raiders went on to post a 4-0 victory.
Junior pitcher Hannah Bishop allowed just two hits in the shutout and senior outfielder Grace Morgan had a two-run homer in the sixth inning for the Raiders. Their final run came on a sacrifice fly by Bishop in the seventh.
Ryle (23-6) advances to the state tournament at Jack Fisher Park in Owensboro. The Raiders’ first opponent will be 4th Region champion Warren East (29-4) at 6 p.m. (Eastern time) on Thursday.
“It feels freaking amazing, that’s the only way I can describe it,” Branson said of Ryle winning its first regional title since 2012 when she was a sixth-grader on the varsity roster.
“I know we’re going to do great (at the state tournament). We’ve got a lot of fight in us. We always come together at the right time, like we came together (Friday).”
Branson, a University of Kentucky recruit, was named the region tournament’s most valuable player. She’s one of four seniors on the Ryle roster who will graduate Saturday.
“We’ve been very focused all year,” said coach Craig Milburn. “We’ve got four seniors who have been excellent leaders. They’ve carried this team.”
Highlands intentionally walked Branson the last three times she came to bat, but she made some nice defensive plays that helped keep the Bluebirds off the scoreboard for the first time all season.
“That was a little frustrating, but I knew it was coming,” Branson said of the three intentional walks. “I’m just glad I got that one at-bat in.”
Bishop pitched a perfect game through the first five innings, which included a one hour and 20 minute delay because of thunder and lightning in the area.
Highlands junior Morgan Coffey led off the sixth inning with a sharp grounder to the left side that Branson back-handed, but her throw to first was too high. A clean single up the middle by junior Rachel Gabbard in the seventh inning was the only other hit for the Bluebirds.
“I honestly didn’t realize that, I was so into the game,” Bishop said of coming close to a perfect game. “But that is probably one of my biggest accomplishments.”
The winning pitcher had just three strikeouts in seven innings. She retired 15 of the other 18 batters on ground outs or pop-ups in the infield.
“I really had the change-up working,” Bishop said. “It was really curving well to the outside and getting batters out up there.”
After giving up the lead-off home run, Highlands eighth-grade pitcher Gracie Schlosser held the Raiders scoreless through the next four innings. She got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning, but Morgan hit the two-run homer in the sixth.
Highlands had double-digit run totals in 14 of its 20 victories this season, so coach Rob Coffey was surprised to see his young team shut out in the regional championship game.
“We didn’t execute at the plate is what it all boils down to,” the coach said. “(Bishop) didn’t really throw it past us a lot. We just couldn’t square it up much, and that’s not like us. We just could not put the bat on the ball until late in the game.”
Coach Coffey did agree with Branson being selected for the tournament’s most valuable player award. She’s such a good hitter that he had to intentionally walk her three times.
“You feel bad about not letting her hit, but you want to keep the game close,” he said. “She’s an unbelievable player and so fun to watch. We just didn’t want to watch her (Friday).”
RYLE 100 002 1 — 4 5 0
HIGHLANDS 000 000 0 — 0 2 0
WP — Bishop. LP — Schlosser (5 Ks). HITTING LEADERS: R: Branson HR; Morgan HR, 2 RBI. RECORDS: Ryle 23-6, Highlands 20-11.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Ryle — Maclai Branson (MVP), Hannah Bishop, Morgan Smith, Kai Dickerson. Highlands — Rachel Gabbard, Anna Greenwell, Gracie Schlosser. Notre Dame — Lindsey Meier, Lauren Durstock. St. Henry — Sydney Steimle, Ashley Pollard. Boone County — Olivia Jackson. Holy Cross — Kaitlin Turner. Dixie Heights — Hanna Baehner. Dayton — Grace Workman.