By Chris Burkart
NKyTribune reporter
In the game of high school fast-pitch softball, there are not many 1-0 games, let alone contests where the only run of the game scores on a passed ball.
However, that’s exactly what the capacity crowd saw in the 9th/10th Region Sectional game at NKU’s Frank Ignatius Grein Field.
Before the team buses arrived at NKU many were wondering if Dixie Heights star first baseman and NKU signee Kaylee McGinn would be playing.
She was ejected from the 9th Region Championship game on Thursday night for running into the catcher and by rule must sit 2 games. Dixie Heights appealed the suspension, but it was upheld by the KHSAA on Friday.
“Thursday night we proved we could win without her on the field, said Dixie Head Coach Sarah Osborne. “Obviously we want her on the field, but I told the girls we can do this, play the defense we know how and if anyone makes an error and you’re getting down on yourself look in the dugout and we’re going to rally around Kaylee.”
Both pitchers, Dixie Heights Colonels sophomore Addie Joyce (9th Region tourney MVP) and Pendleton County Wildcats eighth grader Kayley Bruener (10th Region tourney MVP), were doing their best in the circle to give their team the opportunity to prevail.
Joyce would surrender two-out doubles to freshman Reagan Carlisle in the first and eighth grader Kylie Richardson in the second inning, but neither would get any further.
Bruener, on the other hand, gave up a leadoff single to senior Maggie Fields in the first, but would retire nine in a row, five via strikeout.
The lone run of the game came in the Pendleton County third inning. Seventh grade Designated Player Avery Himes reached on an error. Sophomore Olivia Verst laid down a sac-bunt, moving Himes to second and junior Samantha Verst moved Himes 60 feet to third on a groundout to first.
With freehman Reagan Carlisle at the plate, the pitch eluded Dixie freshman catcher Rebecca Cundiff and Himes scored. On the next pitch Carlisle would hit a sharp single to center.
Prior to the game Pendleton County Head Coach Mary Pettit stressed the importance of staying focused and playing sound defense.
“Winning the regional tournament was a major accomplishment, one that has never been done by any female sport in the history of the school,” Pettit said. “They need to be proud of that, but they also need to stay focused on this game and continue to play good sound defense which as gotten us to this point, there’s no ceiling to high for this group and I’m so proud of what they have accomplished”.
Well that good defense paid off in the fourth inning as Dixie eighth grader Ella Steczynski leads off with a drive to center that was chased down by Verst.
Next sophomore Brooke Albert hit a single to right-center. Addie Joyce hit a sharp comebaker to Bruener in the circle and she threw to second base for the force out.
Freshman Ava Meyer followed with a single to left-center.
With runners on first and second and two out, Dixie senior Jenna Slusher hit an absolute missile that Pendleton County third baseman Kylie Richardson snared for the final out.
Dixie would threaten again in the fifth inning, putting with runners on second and third with one out, but Bruener induced two infield pop-ups.
Pendleton County had an opportunity in the bottom of the sixth with a runner on second and two out, but following a pop-up to second, first baseman Ava Meyer made a beautiful back-hand diving stop and tag out to end the inning.
After the game both coaches lauded their team’s effort.
Osborne was disappointed that the hitting wasn’t there, but had nothing but praise for her team.
“It was a great game. I wish we could have gotten some timely hitting, but I can’t say enough about this team,” she said. “Addie did all she could to keep us in the game, we had three girls out of position because of the absence of Kaylee and those girls stepped up. I’m going to miss this senior group, but I’m looking forward to next year because the underclassmen have shown me they can play”.
“I’m just speechless, I’m so proud of these girls; they’ve worked hard all season and their defense today picked us up,” said Pettit. “We’re a little upset with our hitting, but both teams made some great plays on defense. I know our hitting will come around when we need it.”
Box score:
Dixie Heights – 0-0-0-0-0-0-0—0-4-3
Pendleton Co – 0-0-1-0-0-0-x—1-5-1
Dixie Heights – Fields 1-3, Albert 1-3, Meyer 1-2, Cundiff 1-3
Addie Joyce 6 inns, 5 hits, 2K’s
Pendleton Co. – Reagan Carlisle 2-3, double, Maddie Musk 1-3, Kylie Richardson 2-2, double
Kayley Bruener 7 inns, 4 hits, 7K’s
Pendleton Co (26-14) will face Central Hardin (35-7) on Friday, June 7, at University of Kentucky’s John Cropp Stadium.