For the first time since Ryle played in back-to-back state championship games in 2006 and 2007, a Ninth Region softball team will appear in the state semifinals.
Highlands came back to beat North Hardin, 3-2 in eight innings, on Saturday, June 6, at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington to punch a ticket to the season’s final weekend.
The Bluebirds overcame two crucial mental errors to win their 28th game in their last 29 tries and keep their best ever season alive.
It was another battle of two of the state’s top pitchers as neither Kaitlyn Dixon nor North Hardin hurler Brooklyn Carmickle allowed a baserunner until the fourth inning. Dixon flinched first though, allowing a walk and a single in the fourth inning. With runners on second and third and one out, Carmickle bounced a ball to Allie Meyers at third. She had a chance to tag the lead runner but misfired across the diamond, allowing the Trojans to take a 2-0 lead.
Highlands answered right back in the bottom of the inning as Leyla Zepf walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Morgan Pompilio immediately singled her home to cut the deficit in half at 2-1.
Meanwhile, Dixon kept North Hardin in check, allowing just one more hit and no walks. She finished with five strikeouts but induced weak contact that her defense corralled with ease.
Down to the final three outs, Highlands’ Kate Class led off the bottom of the seventh with an infield single. Allie Meyers laid down a sacrifice bunt that allowed Class to come all the way around to score when North Hardin committed a costly error trying to throw her out at third base. Over half of the runs the Trojans allowed this season were unearned, showing the importance of putting the ball in play and creating chaos on the base paths.
The Bluebirds had a chance to walk it off in the seventh after Bailee Class singled to put runners on first and third with one out, but she was called out trying to advance to second base while the ball was in the pitcher’s circle.
More importantly, Highlands was able to roll the batting order over going to the bottom of the eighth. Payton Brown singled to left field and narrowly stole second on the next pitch. On the next pitch after that, Cam Markus lined the ball to right-center field and Brown scored standing up for the walk-off win.
Highlands will play the winner of South Warren (42-0) and Madison Central (27-8) at 3:30 p.m. on June 12.
The Enquirer will update this story.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Highlands softball comes back to beat North Hardin in state tourney
