Ryle knocked out at state tournament

After winning its first-round game on Thursday and another to advance to the winner’s bracket semifinals early Friday, Ryle’s season finally came to an end.

The Raiders dropped back-to-back games in the state tournament at Jack C. Fisher Park in Owensboro after shutting out North Laurel, 1-0 in eight innings.

In that game, sophomore right-hander Ali Crupper tossed eight scoreless innings, allowing just six hits and two walks to earn the win.

In the bottom of the eighth, sophomore Hannah Brumback walked, reached second on a fielder’s choice and ultimately scored the game-winning run when freshman shortstop Haylee Smith singled to right field on a 3-2 count with two outs.

But Ryle lost, 7-3 to Boyle County in a winner’s bracket semifinal, sending the Raiders to the consolation bracket. A two-run single by senior K.K. Davis keyed a four-run Boyle County fifth inning that gave the Rebels a 5-0 lead.

Trailing 6-0, Ryle battled back with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore Kelsey Hammes singled home one run, and the other two runs scored on an error.

But Boyle County would add another run in the top of the seventh to seal it. The Raiders managed just four hits and committed seven errors.

Ryle fell to Greenwood, 2-0 in its consolation game. Crupper did not walk a batter and held the Gators to two unearned runs that scored that scored on a double after a Raiders fielding error.

WINNER’S QUARTERFINAL
N.LAUREL 000-000-00—0 6 2
vs. RYLE 000-000-01—1 3 0
WP: Crupper (19-6). LP: Baldwin. HITTING LEADER: NL—Fields 2-3, 2B. RECORDS: Ryle 22-13, North Laurel 36-6.

WINNER’S SEMIFINAL
BOYLE 100-041-1—7 8 3
vs. RYLE 000-003-0—3 4 7
WP: Petrie. LP: Crupper (19-7). HITTING LEADERS: BC—Richards 3-4, 2B; Davis 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI. RECORDS: Boyle County 33-11, Ryle 22-14.

CONSOLATION
RYLE 000-000-0—0 7 1
GREENWOOD 002-000-X—2 8 0
WP: Graham. LP: Crupper (19-8). HITTING LEADERS: G—Smith 2-3, 2 RBI; Graham 2-3. R—Langsdale 2-3. RECORDS: Greenwood 40-6, Ryle 22-15.


Read more: http://www.kypost.com/dpp/sports/ryle-knocked-out-at-state-tournament#ixzz1yEnjb9el

Ryle blanks Christian Co. in state opener

Crupper tosses 4-hitter, plates lone run

Sophomore right-hander Ali Crupper tossed a shutout and drove in the only run in Ryle’s 1-0 win over Christian County in the Raiders’ state tournament opener in Owensboro on Thursday.

Ryle freshman shortstop Haylee Smith led off the top of the sixth with a single, and she eventually scored when Crupper lifted a fly ball to left field with one out.

Crupper tossed a four-hit shutout, walking three and fanning six. She allowed two baserunners in each of the final two innings but was able to wiggle out of both jams.

Ryle will play North Laurel (36-5) in the second round at 9 a.m. on Friday.

RYLE HS 000-001-0—1 4 0
CHRISTIAN 000-000-0—0 4 0

WP: Crupper (18-6). LP: Matchen (13-6). HITTING LEADER: CC—Matchen 2B. RECORDS: Ryle 21-13, Christian County 31-7.

Read more: http://www.kypost.com/dpp/sports/ryle-blanks-christian-in-state-opener#ixzz1xCoaKMGG

Prayer vigil and fundraiser for injured Ryle High School senior draws large crowd

By: Tyson Thorp - KY Post

UNION, Ky. - Friends, family and classmates of Ryle High School senior Abby Marsh met in front of the school Tuesday night to pray for her recovery.

Marsh was injured in a car accident two weeks ago and temporarily paralyzed from the waist down.
She recently had surgery, and the Union, Ky. community is coming together to raise money to cover her medical expenses.

Friends say her spirits have remained high throughout her ordeal.  Abby's friend, Paige Barrett, said, "We went and saw her and she was just being her normal jokester self.  Making jokes and making silly comments and she's still pretty happy and it's just really awesome to see how high her spirits are and how she's not letting this bring her down."

Another fundraiser for Abby will be held at the Skyline restaurant on U.S. 42 in Union next Monday.
For more information on upcoming events, Abby's friends have set up a Facebook page .

Read more: http://www.kypost.com/dpps/news/region_northern_kentucky/union/prayer-vigil-and-fundraiser-for-injured-ryle-high-school-senior-draws-large-crowd_7579209#ixzz1x0ZbD9Yt

Ryle walks off to regional title

By John Lachmann 
Kypostsports@yahoo.com

ERLANGER, Ky. – It took 41½ hours to complete the Region 9 championship game between Ryle and Conner, and at no time during that period did the Raiders lead.

But a walk-off two-out single by sophomore left fielder Katelyn Stephens plated the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Ryle to a 2-1 win at St. Henry on Saturday.

The Raiders congratulate Kate Rouse after she scores
the game-winning run (Cathy Lachman/KY Post.com)

“I was just thinking, I have to put the bat on the ball, and so I just swung,” Stephens said. “As soon as I saw it passed the shortstop, I just cried. I just lost it.”

The run-scoring hit capped a Raiders rally that saw the final four batters reach base after their season was reduced to one out.

“It would’ve been nice to finish the other night, but I guess everything happens for a reason,” Ryle sophomore right-hander Ali Crupper said. “It was a good reason this time.”

The game was suspended in the bottom of the sixth on Thursday after strong storms rolled into the area. Conner led, 1-0, Ryle sophomore first baseman Kelsey Hammes had a 2-2 count and the Raiders had a runner on second with two outs.

When the game resumed on Saturday, Cougars freshman right-hander Elizabeth Sims walked Hammes, who had two of Ryle’s four hits. Sims then retired Crupper on a grounder to third.

Crupper walked Sims to start the top of the seventh, but her courtesy runner was stranded at second after she was bunted over.

Ryle eighth-grade catcher McKenzi Dickerson popped up to Sims to open the bottom of the seventh. But Sims threw wildly after fielding the ball cleanly when the next batter, senior right fielder Sydney Langsdale, bounced back to the circle, giving the Raiders their first baserunner of the inning.

Ryle was down to its last out after sophomore designated player Hannah Brumback popped to third, but Conner was unable to close out the inning.

Raiders leadoff hitter senior center fielder Kate Rouse hit a blooper down the left field line that dropped for a base hit, and junior second baseman McKell Oliverio fisted a ball toward second base and was able to beat it out for an infield single, loading the bases.

That brought up freshman shortstop and No. 3 hitter Haylee Smith, who had already reached twice in three plate appearances. Smith hit a hard grounder to shortstop, and Cougars senior Ellery Kring bobbled and was unable to record an out as the tying run scored.

Stephens stepped to the plate. She struck out on a high pitch in the first inning, so Sims tried to finish her the same way when the count went 0-2, but this time Stephens took it high.

With the count 1-2, she smashed a ball through the left side to score the winning run.

“That was exciting – it was nice to see the girls have confidence,” Ryle coach Patti Oliverio said. “Kate Rouse came up with two outs, got the hit, then McKell came up, got the hit, Haylee put the ball hard in play and Katelyn, she’s done that three of four times this year, drive in the winning run with two outs and us down, so it was a familiar situation for us, so we had a lot of confidence in her right there.”

The game was called Thursday night after a lightning strike and subsequent heavy rain.

Two days earlier, sophomore left fielder Sydney Himes scored the lone Conner run in the top of the third.  She singled, advanced to second on a sacrifice and scored on a two-base throwing error.

In the top of the sixth, Conner had runners at second and third with one out, but after a Crupper fielded a bunt and threw to Oliverio, who was covering first, Oliverio threw out the lead runner trying to score.

Oliverio reached on an error to start the bottom of the sixth, and she moved to second on a groundout. One out later, Hammes’ at-bat, and the paramount fast-pitch game played in Northern Kentucky this season, were interrupted by the lightning four pitches in.

It was the eighth regional title for Ryle in the past nine years, and the Raiders’ third straight. Conner is the only other team to win a Region 9 championship in that span, as the Cougars went to state in 2009.
Crupper finished with six hits allowed and she walked just two while striking out five, including two the final inning.

“I’m very proud of her – she kept us in (the game) here,” Stephens said. “If she’d given up any more hits it would’ve been a different story.”

Ryle will play Christian County in the first round of the state tournament at 5 p.m. on Thursday at Jack C. Fisher Park in Owensboro.

CONNER 001-000-0—1 6 4
vs. RYLE 000-000-2—2 7 1

WP: Crupper (17-6). LP: Sims (26-12). HITTING LEADERS: C—Himes 2-4; Sims 2B. R—Hammes 2-2. RECORDS: Ryle 21-13, Conner 28-12.


Read more: http://www.kypost.com/dpp/sports/ryle-walks-off-to-regional-title#ixzz1wjJJit3b

Ryle rallies past Conner in Ninth Region softball final

by Marc Harden, NKY Enquirer


Ryle sophomore Katelyn Stephens couldn't believe she was holding the Ninth Region softball tournament most valuable player award following the Raiders' 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Conner in Saturday's final.

"It's something I would never expect. I'm going to hang it on my bedroom wall," she said. "Having this and winning the way we did is just unbelievable."

Conner couldn't believe it, either. Both of the Raiders' runs in the bottom of the seventh inning were unearned.

"It's a disappointment to see that happen in the last inning," Cougars coach Kristin Koors said. "Ryle did a great job with it. Good luck to them at state."

Conner led 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth when the game resumed at noon at St. Henry following Thursday's suspension because of rain.

With two outs and a runner on second base, Ryle's Kelsey Hammes went to the plate with a 2-2 count and coaxed a walk from Conner pitcher Elizabeth Sims, who had six strikeouts and a four-hit shutout going two days earlier. Conner got out of the inning with a force-out at third and failed to score in the top of the seventh off Ryle pitcher Ali Crupper, who didn't allow a run after the third.

That set the stage for the opportunistic Raiders. With 15 tournament games under their belts against opponents from five states, Ryle coach Patti Oliverio knew the moment wasn't too big for her players, even with the bottom of the lineup due up at the plate.

"They believe," Oliverio said. "And they trust their coaches."

Trouble for Conner in the seventh began with the first batter when McKenzi Dickerson's smash to Sims was played for a throwing error by the pitcher. The Cougars got two quick outs but Ryle loaded the bases on a bloop single to left by Kate Rouse and a single to right by McKell Oliverio. Haylee Smith followed with a grounder to shortstop. The ball was bobbled and Smith beat the throw to first while a pinch-runner scored the tying run.

The bases remained loaded and Sims put Stephens in the hole with an 0-2 count. Stephens, who earlier had struck out, grounded into a double play and flied out, drilled the next pitch into left field for the walk-off, game-winning hit.

The Raiders, ranked No. 1 in the final Enquirer Northern Kentucky coaches' poll, beat the Cougars for the third time this season and won a third consecutive regional championship, and seventh in eight years. Crupper, Hammes and Rouse were named all-tournament.

Ryle (21-13) plays Christian County (31-6) at 5 p.m. Thursday in a first-round state tournament game at Owensboro's Jack C. Fisher Park. That's excellent news for the team's two seniors, Rouse and Sydney Langsdale.

"We came out pretty positive today. Hopefully, we'll win down there, too, and finish strong," Rouse said.

Conner, ranked second locally, finished 28-12. The Cougars have lost to Ryle in the regional final six times since 2004, including the last three years. Conner's Sims, Katelynn Halcomb and Paige Volz were named all-tournament.


Conner 001 000 0 -- 1 - 6 - 3
Ryle 000 000 2 -- 2 - 7 - 1

WP: Crupper (16-6, 5 K's). LP: Sims (24-12, 6 K's). Leaders: C-Himes 2-3; Sims 2B. R-Hammes 2-2. Records C 28-12, R 21-13. All-tournament: MVP-Katelyn Stephens, Ali Crupper, Kelsey Hammes, Kate Rouse (Ryle); Katelynn Halcomb, Elizabeth Sims, Paige Volz (Conner); Meredith Hartfiel, Bailey Spencer (Dixie Heights); Rachel Hardesty, Casey Kohls (Newport Central Catholic); Katlyn Hoeh (Newport); Abby Jones (Notre Dame Academy); Mamee Salzer (St. Henry); Sierra Whitfield (Beechwood).

http://nky.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20120602/SPT0302/306020070/