By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Pitching in the championship game of the 9th Region All “A” Classic softball tournament was a new experience for St. Henry sophomore Kaylee Fogt, but the first-year starter handled it well enough to get the win.
St. Henry edged Villa Madonna, 4-3, in the title game on Wednesday to earn a berth in the small-school state tournament that’s scheduled for April 28-29 at Jack Fischer Park in Owensboro.
St. Henry sophomore Kaylee Fogt, right, was the winning pitcher and senior Ashley Pollard, left, drove in two runs in the 9th Region All “A” Classic title game.
Fogt had eight strikeouts in seven innings, but she also walked seven batters. Even though Villa Madonna had eight runners in scoring position over the last six innings, only three of them crossed the plate.
“It got a little hard, but I think I kept my head and felt like my defense was there for me the whole game,” Fogt said.
The winning pitcher’s mother is St. Henry head coach Freedom Fogt, who hasn’t lost to Villa Madonna in the seven years that she has been in charge of the Crusaders program.
That streak seemed to be in jeopardy Wednesday after a two-run single by Villa Madonna eighth-grader Joslyn Thornberry tied the score at 3-3 in the top of the fifth inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Fogt led off with a double and a pinch runner took her place. After getting a strikeout, Villa Madonna junior pitcher Brooke Meier speared a sharp line drive and turned it into an inning-ending double play with a quick throw that caught the pinch runner off base.
“I thought Villa did great with Brooke on the mound,” coach Fogt said. “She kept our hitters off balance and we didn’t hit the ball like we had the past couple weeks.”
St. Henry was able to score the go-ahead run in the sixth inning. After sophomore Haylee McVey reached base on an error, Villa Madonna gave an intentional walk to senior Ashley Pollard, who had driven in two runs in her first two at-bats.
There were two outs when St. Henry senior Carlie Townsend stepped to the plate and flared a ball over first base. The right fielder came charging in to make the catch, but the ball glanced off her glove and McVey crossed the plate to give the Crusaders a 4-3 lead.
Villa Madonna had runners on first and second in the top of the seventh, but Kaylee Fogt left them stranded to pick up the victory in her first regional championship game.
“I’m glad with how she handled it,” said Pollard, the team’s senior catcher. “I just kept telling her to pay attention and focus on me and try to get them out 1-2-3 in each inning.”
This is the first time since 2015 that St. Henry has won the 9th Region All “A” Classic softball title. Kaylee said being the starting pitcher on the team coached by her mom has been a challenge.
“There’s a lot of pressure and she’s there to calm me down,” Kaylee said. “But she does expect a lot from me so I try to give her what we needs.”
Both teams had six hits and committed two errors in the title game. Villa Madonna left a total of 10 runners on base compared to three for St. Henry.
“We left someone on base in nearly every inning and just couldn’t get that timely hit,” said Villa Madonna coach Dave Meier. “But we played hard. We’re a young team so I’m proud of the way we played.”
Meier said it was the first time that a Villa Madonna team made it to a 9th Region All “A” Classic championship game in softball, baseball, soccer, volleyball or basketball.
VILLA MADONNA 001 020 0 — 3 6 2
ST. HENRY 200 101 x — 4 6 2
WP — Fogt (8 Ks). LP — B. Meier. HITTING LEADERS: VM — C. Meier 2-4, 2B; Thornberry 2 RBI. SH — McVay 3B; Pollard 2 RBI. RECORDS: St. Henry 4-7, Villa Madonna 6-1.
