The Kentucky High School Athletic Association Ninth Region softball tournament began without a clear favorite.
The four teams that arrived at Notre Dame Academy for the semifinal round on a hot, steamy Monday afternoon all brought strong, experienced pitchers who did all they could to send their teams to the championship game.
With all four hurlers in top form, it was clutch hitting and defense in two low-scoring battles that determined the two teams that will play for the Ninth Region championship.
Dixie Heights (23-6) will play Highlands (25-14) in the final, which is 5 p.m. Tuesday at Notre Dame. The final was originally scheduled for Wednesday afternoon but has been moved up a day because Dixie Heights' graduation is Wednesday night.
Dixie is playing for its first title since 2019 and Highlands its first since 2016 after both teams survived pitchers’ duels Monday.
Dixie head coach Sarah Osborne knew it would come down to key plays.
“It’s the timely hits, the plays. We call them championship plays,” Osborne said. “If you go all out for it and don’t get it, so what, but at least you gave it your all. The four teams that were left in it, it’s insane the talent in Northern Kentucky for softball, which is good. It’s just who capitalizes and who stops the bleeding quickest when errors happen.”
Highlands 3, Cooper 1
Highlands scored all its runs in the first two innings, led by a two-run single by Carley Cramer to eliminate the Jaguars (25-11).
“We haven’t been to state since I’ve been here,” Highlands junior Kennedy Baioni said. “Being here in this position is really good for our whole school.”
Baioni pitched a complete game, allowing seven hits and striking out three against the Jaguars, who were the highest-scoring team in the Ninth Region, averaging 8.6 runs per game and 301 overall.
Baioni, who shut out Newport Central Catholic in the 36th District final, improved her record to 11-8 and lowered her ERA to 2.63.
Highlands beat Cooper 10-7 on May 2. Baioni struggled, giving up 11 hits and six runs, two earned but was more confident today.
“I knew I had to keep the ball low,” she said. “We knew where to pitch each batter, so I could move it up, down, in, out. So studying them really helped us out. It was the end of the season, so we knew we had to bear down and not let anything through.”
Cooper had two runners on with one out in both the first and second innings and left four runners in scoring position overall. The Bluebirds generated little offense against Cooper starter Kendall Blau after the first inning. Blau finished 12-5 and had a 2.61 ERA coming in.
Highlands had its ups and downs throughout the season with a young team and a tough schedule but has now won seven of the eight. The loss was 5-2 against Dixie Heights May 20.
“Kennedy pitched a fantastic game,” Highlands head coach Milt Horner said. “She had some trouble, but once she figured it out, she was great and we played really good defense. Our shortstop, Anna (Greenwell), had a bunch of assists. We peaked at the right time. We’ve been hitting the ball again.”
Dixie Heights 2, Ryle 0
The Colonels broke a scoreless draw in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring both their runs with three hits and two Ryle throwing errors.
Ella Steczynski led off with a single and later advanced to second on a throwing error when the Raiders tried to pick her off first.
Skylar Mitchell followed with a single. She beat the throw to first, but the ball sailed way over Grace Tranbarger’s glove at first base, allowing Steczysnki to score.
Taylor Ingram then drove in Mitchell with a double to the outfield wall to make it 2-0.
That was enough for Dixie sophomore Riley Hopkins, who shut out the Raiders on six hits. She improved her record to 17-6 and lowered her ERA to 2.28. Ryle finished 19-15.
“I feel so excited,” Hopkins said. “All my nerves were there. I was scared, but I knew we had the team and we could do it. I think we have a good chance tomorrow (in the final).”
Hopkins outdueled Ryle sophomore Maddie Goddard, who finished 14-9 and had a 2.42 ERA coming in. Goddard allowed eight hits but was victimized by the two sixth-inning errors, the only ones the Raiders committed.
Dixie had beaten Ryle 11-1 on May 4, but Ryle didn’t start the hard-throwing Goddard.
“They were using a different pitcher. It was early in the season and they weren’t at the top of their game,” Hopkins said. “They were a lot better this time around. It took us a while to get used to (Goddard’s) speed.”
Both teams generated a few scoring opportunities.
In the top of the first, Ryle’s Avery Parsons hit a two-out double but was left on base.
Dixie started the first with singles by Bri Patsel and Ava Meyer. Patsel had three hits in the game. But Goddard kept them on base.
Dixie threatened in the third when Patsel hit a double with one out, but the Colonels couldn’t drive her in.
In the fourth, Ryle threatened with two outs, when Tranbarger doubled and Emily Zmurk singled her to third.
Payton Godfrey grounded to Steczynski at shortstop, and the junior fired to first to beat Godfrey by a step and prevent the run from scoring.
In the bottom of the fourth, Dixie had a runner on third with one after Hopkins doubled to lead off the inning.
Hopkins’ courtesy runner was doubled off third after Ingram hit a hard line drive to Parsons at shortstop.
Ryle had runners on second and third with two out in the sixth after singles by Parsons and Laney Schuster. But Hopkins induced a groundout to third to end the inning.
Dixie beat finals opponent Highlands 5-2 May 20 in Fort Thomas. Hopkins pitched a complete-game four-hitter and Patsel had three hits. Kaitlyn Dixon started for the Bluebirds in the circle and Baioni pitched two innings of relief.
“Their pitcher is good,” Osborne said. “They have a couple of big hitters. The biggest thing for us is we have to stay patient and disciplined at the plate. That’s been our thing all year, and I know in pressure situations with high school girls, it’s hard to do that sometimes.”
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