By Chad Hensley
NKyTribune sports reporter
LEXINGTON – Pendleton County built an 8-0 lead in the first four innings and held on for an 8-2 victory over Boone County in the opening round of the fast-pitch softball state tournament on Sunday at the University of Kentucky’s John Cropp Stadium.
Making its first appearance in the state tournament since 2002, Boone County was limited to two runs on eight hits by Pendleton County sophomore pitcher Kayley Bruener, who had 12 strike outs and just one walk.
Boone County starting pitcher Kaitlyn Irwin and reliever Karys Black gave up a total of 12 hits with five strike outs and six walks.
Pendleton County took an early 2-0 lead when Sydney Manor’s rocket shot into left field scored Raegan Carlisle and Bruener in the first inning.
Bruener got what proved to be the game-winning RBI when her single to center field brought in Avery Himes from second base to put the Wildcats up 3-0 in the bottom of the second.
Black came in from left field to take over the pitching duties for Boone County after that, but the senior veteran couldn’t shut down Pendleton County’s offense. The 10th Region champions scored one run in the third and four in the fourth to open up an 8-0 lead.
Boone County couldn’t get anything going offensively until the game had already been put out of reach. The Rebels scored one run in both the fifth and sixth innings to avoid a shutout and saw their 16-game winning streak come to end.
Boone County sophomore shortstop Harper Kinman knocked in her team’s first run on a single into right field that scored Amariana Sweet from second. In the sixth inning, seventh-grader Kaitlyn Furnish got the final run when she came home on a wild pitch.
Boone County had a 1-1 record against Pendleton County during the regular season, but Bruener did not pitch in either of those games. The 12 strikeouts she recorded in Sunday’s game pushed her season total to 254 in 102 innings.
Black pitched four innings in relief for Boone County, allowing five runs on eight hits with four strikeouts. Irwin went just two innings, giving up three runs on four hits with one walk and one strikeout.
Kinman and Black each had two hits for the Rebels. Pendleton County had four batters with multiple hits, including a 3-for-3 showing for eighth-grader Madison Verst.
Boone County ends the season with a 24-11 record. Pendleton County (25-11) advances to Friday’s quarterfinals to face Daviess County, a team that upset tournament favorite Louisville Ballard, 2-1, on Saturday with both runs coming in the seventh inning.
BOONE COUNTY 000 011 0 — 2 8 1
PENDELTON COUNTY 211 400 x — 8 12 0
WP — Bruener (12 Ks). LP — Irwin. HITTING LEADERS: BC — Kinman 2-4; Black 2-4, 2B. PC — Bruener 2-2, 2B; Manor 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI; 0. Verst 2 RBI; Musk 2-4, 2 RBI; M. Verst 3-3. RECORDS: Pendleton County 25-11, Boone County 24-11.