By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
After a five-day break between games, Boone County’s fast-pitch softball team picked up a win against one of its biggest rivals on Wednesday to remain on top in the Northern Kentucky standings with 15-3-1 record.
Boone County junior Olivia Jackson has a 13-2 pitching record and .340 batting average for the Rebels
Boone County defeated Conner, 4-1, behind the pitching of junior Olivia Jackson, who allowed only two hits in seven innings to pick up her 13th win of the season. She also went 3-for-3 at the plate with two doubles for the Rebels, who are now 3-0 in games that will decide the seeding for the 33rd District playoffs.
“To be honest, we expected to have a better year than we had last year when we had a lot of injuries and hit a rough patch in the season,” said Boone County coach Andy Petridis. “I think everybody knew coming into this year we were going to be good. Our team is jelling pretty well playing against good competition and doing what we need to do.”
Last year, the Rebels lost the last six games on their schedule and entered the playoffs with an 11-15 record. They still made it to the 9th Region semifinals before a 9-4 loss to Highlands closed the book on their season.
The players returning from that hard-luck team knew they could do better and set their sites on winning Boone County’s first regional title in fast-pitch softball since 2002.
“That’s our biggest motivation,” Jackson said . “We want a (championship) banner up in our gym and want everybody to know that Boone County is still a good program.”
Boone County took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the game at Conner on a sacrifice fly by Jackson. The veteran pitcher then retired nine of the first 10 batters she faced with only three strikeouts.
“I go more for pop-ups and ground balls and let my defense get the outs,” Jackson said of her pitching strategy. “You work together, and with my team I really feel good about that.”
Boone County picked up another run in the second inning. Sophomore catcher Nikki Bridgers drew a walk and then scored when senior Kamryn Huff drilled a double down the left field line.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Conner scored it’s only run on a double by sophomore Miranda Meier that was the Cougars’ first hit of the game.
Boone County pitcher Olivia Jackson allowed only two hits in a 4-1 win over Conner.
But the Rebels got the run back in the top of the fifth. After junior Shelby Wright led off with a triple, freshman Star Smith laid down a bunt. When the throw went to first to get the batter, Wright broke for home and scored on a head-first slide across the plate to make it 3-1.
Boone County got it’s final run in the sixth inning on a double by Bridgers that was one of her team’s five extra-base hits off Conner pitcher Olivia Henry. But coach Petridis criticized his team’s performance at the plate.
“We hit terrible, but we haven’t played in five days and that layoff hurts,” he said. “We know we can put up double digits in hits against just about anybody unless they’ve got an absolute stud (pitching). This is a pretty good offensive team. We’ve just got to get everybody doing it together.”
The Rebels have a .375 team batting average (190 of 507) and they’re averaging nine runs per game. Jackson is among the team leaders with a .340 average (16 of 47) that includes five doubles, one triple and two home runs.
“I’m just seeing the ball really well and it feels good coming off the bat,” she said. “I worked really hard during the off-season because last year I struggled a little bit.”
This is Jackson’s fifth season on the Boone County varsity team. She was a first baseman for two years before she became the team’s No. 1 pitcher as a freshman.
“She’s always been solid with the stick, even when she started for us in the seventh and eighth grade,” coach Petridis said. “Every year, she keeps getting better and more disciplined and doesn’t chase many bad pitches. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, you always expect her to get at least one or two hits.”
BOONE CO. 110 011 0 — 4 9 1
CONNER 000 010 0 — 1 2 2
WP — Jackson. LP — Henry. HITTING LEADERS: BC — Wright 2-4, 3B; Jackson 3-3, 2 2B; Bridgers 2B; Huff 2B. C — Meier 2B. RECORDS: Boone County 15-3-1 ; Conner 7-6.
