HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Ryle softball team may not have a dominating pitcher, but the Raiders are hard to beat when they play defense like they did in an 8-3 win over Dixie Heights on Tuesday in the semifinals of the 9th Region Tournament at Northern Kentucky University.
Ryle had three double plays and senior shortstop Jenna Sander made two impressive catches during the victory that put the Raiders in the regional championship game for the seventh straight year.
Ryle will play long-time rival Conner in the title game at 6 p.m. Thursday at NKU. The winner will advance to next week’s state tournament in Owensboro.
This is the fifth straight year that Ryle and Conner have been opponents in the regional final. Ryle has a 3-1 record in the previous four title games, including an 8-1 win last year.
“You can’t get caught up in all that,” Ryle coach Patti Oliverio said of her team’s past success against Conner. “We’re just going to come out and play our game and take it one pitch at a time. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing.”
The Raiders scored five unearned runs in Tuesday’s semifinal victory by taking advantage of seven fielding errors committed by Dixie Heights.
Four of those errors came on one play in the fourth inning. Ryle senior Cassie Hamilton hit a grounder that was misplayed by the third baseman and went to second base when the ball skipped off the left fielder’s glove. Hamilton advanced to third base on an errant throw by the left fielder and scored on an errant throw by the catcher.
Dixie Heights coach Roddy Stainforth said his team’s shoddy defensive play was the difference in the game. “We pitched well enough to knock off the defending champs. We hit well enough to knock off the defending champs. We just didn’t field the ball well enough to knock off the defending champs,” Stainforth said.
Ryle didn’t commit any errors and ended the game with its third double play of the evening. Sander’s big plays were an over-the-shoulder catch in shallow center field and a diving snag on a line drive.
Sander also had a two-run triple in the third inning and then scored on a double by pitcher Haylee Smith to give the Colonels a 4-0 lead.
“The first couple innings we were popping it up a little bit, but we stayed with it and got the big hits when we needed them,” Sander said.
“The first couple innings we were popping it up a little bit, but we stayed with it and got the big hits when we needed them,” Sander said.
Ryle scored two unearned runs in the fourth to extend its lead to 6-0. Dixie Heights cut it to 6-3 in the sixth inning, but the Raiders got a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it 8-3.
After the game, Sander was asked about facing Conner in the regional championship game once again.
“We can’t underestimate them because two years ago they beat us in the regional final and it was just devastating,” Sander said. “I don’t ever want to feel that way again.”
DIXIE 000-021-0–3 8 7
RYLE 004-202-X–8 7 0
WP: Smith (28-6). LP: Tekulve (13-9). Hitting leaders: DH–Garrett 2-4; Hartfiel 2B. R–Hamilton 2-4, 2B; Steinle 2-4; Sander 3B, 2 RBI; Smith 2B. Records: Ryle 29-8, Dixie Heights 18-9.
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