By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Highlands senior Kaitlyn Dixon is the only softball pitcher in Kentucky with 30 wins this season, mainly because she’s averaging 11.9 strikeouts per game for the 35-6 Bluebirds.
Dixon will be facing her biggest challenge Friday when she steps into the pitching circle to face South Warren in a state semifinal game set for 3:30 p.m. at the University of Kentucky’s Cropp Stadium.
South Warren has a perfect 43-0 record and the Spartans’ offensive stats are stunning. They have a .485 team batting average and average 12.7 runs per game. In the majority of their victories, umpires applied the mercy rule after they took double-digit leads in five innings or less.
But the undefeated team had an uncharacteristic letdown in last week’s quarterfinals. South Warren needed a two-run homer in the eighth inning to get past Madison Central, 4-3, and remain in contention for its first state title.
The Spartans had only four players strike out in that game, but they were limited to five hits and Madison Central did not make any costly fielding errors.
How well Highlands plays defense will be a big factor in Friday’s semifinal game as well.
The Bluebirds are the first 9th Region softball team to reach the final four of the state tournament since the single-elimination format was adopted in 2019.
Dixon anchors the team’s staunch defense. In the last five region and state playoff victories, her strikeouts accounted for 64 of 105 totals outs. Opponents got 12 hits, drew two walks and scored five runs, but only one was earned.
Keeping batters off base against South Warren has not been easy for most pitchers. The Spartans have four seniors hitting .500 or better. The leader is McClain Hudson, who leads the state in batting average (.731) and home runs (26). She has only four strikeouts in 130 at-bats.
South Warren’s other big hitters are seniors Parker Willoughby (.550), Hadley Borders (.550) and Layla Ogden (.500), who hit the game-winning home run against Madison Central last week.
The leading hitters in the Highlands’ starting lineup are senior Cam Markus (.475), sophomore Layla Zepf (.457) and sophomore Kate Class (.410). The RBI leader is senior Payton Brown with 52.
Campbell County catcher selected for Johnny Bench Award
Campbell County baseball player Camden Tiemeier will receive the Johnny Bench Award for being selected as the best catcher in Kentucky high school baseball this season.
A committee determines annual winners in high school baseball and softball from Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia. They will receive their awards during a luncheon on July 7 and honored before the Cincinnati Reds home game that evening.
In addition to being a defensive asset behind the plate, Tiemeier had a .446 batting average (50 of 112). With three games remaining in the state tournament, he leads the state in RBI with 63 and is tied for seventh in home runs with 11.
A Morehead State University recruit, Tiemeier was one of five senior starters on the Campbell County team that won the 10th Region championship, made it to the state quarterfinals and finished with a 26-14 record. In the Camels’ two state playoff games, he went 3-for-7 with two home runs, one double and six RBI.
Going into the state tournament semifinals, the state leaders in total hits are Beechwood junior Tyler Fryman with 73 and Campbell County senior Tyler Schumacher with 63. Fryman also leads the state in runs scored with 62 and Schumacher is tied for second with 59.
Cooper graduate continues WNBA career with Phoenix team
Cooper graduate Lexi Held has rejoined the Phoenix Mercury to continue her second season in the WNBA and averaged 17 minutes off the bench in the team’s last four games.
Last year, Held was averaging 8.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists for the Mercury when she suffered a partially collapsed lung after colliding with another player during a game in June. That put the 5-foot-9 guard’s rookie season on hold for five weeks and she finished averaging 5.3 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 32 games.
During the WNBA expansion draft this spring, Held was selected 10th overall by the Toronto Tempo. After playing in eight games, the new team released her and Phoenix offered her a contract to return there.
In the last four games with the Mercury, Held totaled 18 points, five rebounds, seven assists and four steals. In a win at Portland on Friday, she scored a season-high eight points with three assists.