Holy Cross softball’s magical postseason run came to an end in the first round of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association state tournament as they lost to Harrison County, 13-0 in six innings on Friday morning.
The Indians finish the season with an 18-13 record, capping one of the best two-year runs in program history after going 18-11 and qualifying for the Ninth Region tournament in 2024.
“It’s a tough loss, but just the fact that we’re here is a huge accomplishment for the team, the school and the program, and I told them to not let the loss take away from that. I’m super proud of each and every one of these girls to see where we started and where we ended,” Holy Cross head coach Courtney Turner said.
Here’s how the action unfolded at John Cropp Stadium.
Harrison County scored early and often
The Fillies averaged 8.6 runs per game entering the state tournament.
Pitcher Shyanne Ross, who finished with eight strikeouts, got the offense going on the third pitch of the game, lacing a double off the left-field wall. Holy Cross pitcher Evie Thomas almost got out of the inning, but third baseman Owyn McCoy sent her first home run of the year over the left field fence for a 2-0 lead.
McCoy would add a three-run homer in the third inning to give Harrison County a 6-0 lead. She finished with seven RBIs after a two-run single in the sixth inning.
“It’s been kind of funny this year that she’s hit so many off the wall. She even had one hit on the top and come back. It’s been kind of a joke all year. We keep telling her, ‘Line drives. We don’t care about that anyway.’ She’s played well for us all year,” Harrison County head coach Chad Persinger said.
All told, the Fillies scored in five of the six innings. They crossed the plate multiple times in four innings.
Mental errors piled up for Holy Cross
Holy Cross had its first real scoring chance in the second inning. Suzette Klaiss walked and stole second base. After a Jordyn Reiselman pop-up and a Jadyn Jones walk, Klaiss was thrown out trying to steal third on a pitch that got away from Harrison County catcher Baylee Hudgins.
One batter before McCoy’s three-run homer, the Indians let Bella Persinger’s pop up drop in left field for a single.
In the fourth inning, center fielder Kayla Fledderman and right fielder Charlie Ankenbauer collided attempting to field a fly ball.
Fledderman, the Ninth Region championship game hero, notched the Indians’ first hit of the game in the fifth inning, a single to left field with two outs. Zakyah Ryan followed with her own base hit before Ross registered her final strikeout.
“Evie is pretty hard on herself, but we’ve got to play behind her. We’ve got to hit. They hit the ball out. We can’t field that. We’ve got to be smarter with our pitches, but again, it happens,” Turner said.
The final blow came in the sixth inning. The Fillies’ first five batters reached base as they scored four times. Lexie Highlander had the final RBI, a base hit to center, before Reiselman turned her second double play of the game to end the inning.
A salute to the Holy Cross softball seniors
Klaiss, Reiselman, Ryan and Thomas led a monumental turnaround for the Indians over the last four years. After going 6-12 in 2021, the quartet complied a 61-45 record since 2022. They won three straight All “A” Ninth Region championships and the school’s first ever Ninth Region tournament.
“This team’s like a family and my seniors wanted to thank the team and coaches for the journey they’ve been able to have here,” Turner said.
Turner also told the underclassmen to remember how it feels to play, and to lose, in the state tournament because they may one day be back in Lexington.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: ‘A tough loss.’ Holy Cross softball falls to Harrison County in KHSAA state tournament
Reporting by Brendan Connelly, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
