Ryle and Conner will meet for Ninth Region title again

by Marc Hardin, NKY Enquirer

The venue has changed, but the Ninth Region softball tournament finalists remain the same as Ryle and Conner will meet in Thursday’s 7 p.m. championship at St. Henry.

Conner crushed Newport Central Catholic, 10-1, in Tuesday’s first semifinal. Two-time defending champion Ryle defeated Dixie Heights, 7-1, in the nightcap.

“It seems like we always play Ryle in the final so we might as well play them again,” said Conner senior shortstop Ellery Kring, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI against the Thoroughbreds. “I’m happy we’re back. It’s a big relief, but we need to jump on them early if we want to win.”

It's the sixth year in a row and the seventh time in eight years that the 33rd District rivals have met for the regional championship. Ryle went 2-1 against Conner during the regular season, winning the past two meetings.

“We’re focused,” Raiders coach Patti Oliverio said. “And we’re extremely confident.”

Ryle has beaten Conner five times in the championship game with the Cougars’ lone regional crown coming in 2009. They first met in the 2005 final at Scott. Ryle also won in 2007 at Conner, in 2008 at Dixie and in 2010-11 at Northern Kentucky University.

The Raiders have outscored the Cougars, 20-7, in the final but had to eek out close wins in 2005 (1-0), 2007 (1-0), and last year (3-0).

“We need to hit,” Conner coach Kristin Koors said. “The best part about today against NCC was we hit from the bottom of the lineup.”

Conner (26-11), ranked second behind top-ranked Ryle in the Enquirer Northern Kentucky coaches’ poll, scored in every inning in which it batted against NewCath (20-14) except the third. Kring’s run-scoring ground ball to second base in the first tied the score at 1.

The Cougars scored the go-ahead run in the second on an infield throwing error. Kring’s two-run single in the fourth made it 6-1 in support of winning pitcher Elizabeth Sims, who was dominant with 11 strikeouts.

“I had different movement on my pitches today,” said Sims, who got a game-ending out at second base when catcher Katelynn Halcomb threw to Kring for her 10th runner caught stealing.

Ryle (20-13) took control with a three-run third against seventh-ranked Dixie (20-14). Katelyn Stephens’ two-run double in the inning made it 3-0. Kelsey Hammes’ run-scoring double during a four-run fifth made it 5-1.

Winning pitcher Ali Crupper struck out 11 and went 2-for-3. Stephens went 2-for-4 for the Raiders.

“I’m ready for Conner,” Crupper said. “I can’t wait.”