Ryle comes close, learns much

OWENSBORO -- For a young team that appeared on the brink of being quickly eliminated from the Kentucky High School Athletic Association state softball tournament, Ryle managed a lengthy stay on Friday that should provide valuable experience for next season.

After Ryle lost its first-round game against Pleasure Ridge Park, 13-9, it faced the state's No. 3-ranked team and defending state champion Owensboro Catholic in an elimination game.

The Raiders pulled off the upset, 1-0, behind a four-hit gem by seventh-grade pitcher Haylee Smith, then knocked off Shelby County, 3-1, on a five-hitter by Smith before being eliminated by North Laurel, 6-1, in a game Smith didn't pitch at Jack C. Fisher Park.

Ryle (28-9), which had a string of four straight state tournament appearances snapped last season after losing standout pitcher Kirsten Allen and all but one other starter, returns all but two seniors off this year's team.

"The experience we got down here, especially with just about everyone coming back, I think the main thing is the girls now know they belong among the state's best and they believe they can play against and beat anybody in the state," said Ryle coach Patti Oliverio.

"In the past it was such a Kirsten Allen-based team and these girls wanted to show they were a team and I think they did that. They showed a lot of character to come back and beat Owensboro Catholic and win a couple of games. They should definitely build off that."

Junior Cassie Hamilton, who started on the mound against North Laurel after starting at third base the first three games, said the upset of Owensboro Catholic followed with another win was a satisfying performance.

"We're just a really mentally tough team," said Hamilton. "That took a lot of guts for us to come back after losing. We were playing Owensboro Catholic and nobody expected anything of us. We just said, let's go have some fun and see what happens and we proved something to ourselves. The coaches kept tryng to drill in our heads that we belonged here and I think that the way we played this weekend proved to our team we belonged here."

Ryle scored the only run of its win over Owensboro Catholic in the top of the first when Hamilton led off with a ground-rule double to left, was sacrificed to third by Bella Steinle and then scored on a wild pitch.

Ryle got just two more hits the rest of the way off Owensboro Catholic starter Andrea McBride.

Owensboro Catholic (32-11) got a runner to third on three different occasions.

In Ryle's 3-1 win over Shelby County, Smith not only allowed just the five hits, but also didn't walk a batter for the second straight game.

Ryle grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Alex Smith walked, was sacrificed to second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Kate Cremer's groundout.

Shelby County (22-18) tied it at 1 in the top of third, but Ryle took the lead in the fourth when eighth-grade second baseman Bella Steinle singled, stole second, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly by Alex Smith.

The Raiders added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Steinle singled with one out and scored when Jenna Sander's slicing line drive glanced off the glove off the right fielder and was scored a double.

In Ryle's loss to North Laurel (34-10), Hamilton battled for the first three innings and Ryle took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning on Sander's RBI single off hard-throwing Megan Taylor, who struck out 10, five in the first two innings.

North Laurel scored two in the third and three in the fifth.

Pleasure Ridge Park 300 340 3 -13 18 1

Ryle 017 001 0 -9 8 2

WP-S. Mercer. LP-H. Smith. Hitting Leaders: PRP-Murphy 2-3; Adwell 5-5, 3 RBI; Hart 2-5, 3 RBI; Hibbs 2-4, Paragon 3-4, 3 RBI; Wood 2-4. R-Steinle 2 RBI; Cremer 2-2; H. Smith 2-3; Oliverio 2 RBI. Records: PRP 24-16, Ryle 26-8.

First Elimination Game

Ryle 100 000 0 -1 3 0

Owensboro Cath. 000 000 0 -0 4 0

WP-H. Smith. LP-MBride. Hitting Leaders: R-Hamilton 2-3, 2B. OC-Sims 2B. Records: Ryle 27-8, Owensboro Catholic 32-11.

Second Elimination Game

Shelby County 001 000 0 -1 5 0

Ryle 010 101 0 -3 5 1

WP-H. Smith (27-4). SC-Thomas. Hitting Leaders: SC-Tinsley 2-3. R-Steinle 2-3; Sander 2B. Records: Shelby County 22-18, Ryle 28-8.

Third Elimination Game

North Laurel 000 231 0 -6 12 0

Ryle 001 000 0 -1 6 2

WP-Taylor (10 Ks). LP-Hamilton. Hitting Leaders: NL-Cordero 3-4; Taylor 2-4; Smith 3-4, 2 RBI; Fields 2-3, 2 RBI. R-Hamilton 2B; Sander 2-3; Oliverio 2-3. Records: North Laurel 34-10, Ryle 28-9.
 
By Richard Skinner • Enquirer contributor • June 11, 2010