By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Villa Madonna won the 9th Region All “A” Classic softball title for the second consecutive year and Walton-Verona swept the 8th Region All “A” Classic softball and baseball titles to advance to the next round of the small-school playoffs in those sports.
On Wednesday, Villa Madonna defeated Beechwood, 15-8, in the 9th Region softball championship game that ended in the sixth inning due to weather concerns. It was the fifth straight victory for the 9-1 Vikings, who will return to the 16-team state tournament April 30 and May 1 in Owensboro.
Villa Madonna senior Camdyn Meier’s three hits in the 9th Region All “A” Classic title game raised her batting average to .548. (Photo provided by team)
Villa Madonna scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 10-6 lead. Beechwood got two runs in the top of the sixth, but the Vikings answered with five runs in the second half of that inning to come away with the win.
Villa Madonna had 12 hits with outfielders Camdyn Meier and Chloe Cotton each getting three. The team’s RBI leaders were third baseman Kathryn McLagan and catcher Rosemary Rice with three each. The winning pitcher was seventh-grader Cam Kratzer, who had six strikeouts in the final four innings.
Beechwood junior third baseman Laney Hatridge had four of her team’s eight hits, including a double and a triple. Sophomore outfielder Katelynn Murphy had two hits and three RBI for the Tigers (5-7).
On Friday, Walton-Verona’s softball team defeated Owen County, 12-2, in the 8th Region final and senior pitcher Audrey Pollard was named most valuable;player for the Bearcats, who evened their record at 7-7.
Walton-Verona scored eight runs in the third inning to take a 10-2 lead and got two more in the fifth to put the game away. The other Bearcats named to the all-tournament team were Lacey Alford, Dannielle Oldfield and Emory Spillman.
The Walton-Verona baseball team defeated Carroll County, 9-3, in their 8th Region championship game on Friday with pitcher Mason Howard giving up only six hits in seven innings.
The Bearcats (12-3) scored three runs in the third inning to take a 6-2 lead and stretched it to 8-2 in the fifth by getting two runs off singles by Carter Krohman, Evan Kerns and Jim Shields, who had three hits and three RBI in the game.
Walton-Verona senior Nick Allen was named the tournament’s most valuable player. He was the winning pitcher in the semifinals and went 5 of 7 at the plate in the final two games. The other Bearcats named to the all-tournament team were Kearns, Shields and Ethan Mills.
Walton-Verona, the runner-up in last year’s All “A” Classic state tournament, will play 7th Region champion Highlands Latin School in a sectional playoff game. The winner will advance to the eight-team state tournament April 30 and May 1 at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond.
Brossart girls basketball team will have new head coach next season
Bishop Brossart is looking for a new girls head basketball coach to replace Garren Parker, who is stepping down after one season as a paraprofessional. He cited work constraints and family obligations as reasons for leaving the program.
Parker coached the Brossart girls freshman team before being named head coach last April. He replaced Kevin Bundy, who resigned to become head coach at Mason County.
Brossart opened the 2021-22 season with three first-year starters in the lineup, but the Mustangs posted a 20-11 record under Parker. They won nine of their last 13 games, claimed the 37th District title and made it to the 10th Region semifinals.
The team’s top returning player is junior forward Molly Kramer, who had team-high averages of 9.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. The junior class also included guards Olivia Lloyd and Bella Rowe, who had a combined average of 10.9 points per game.
Cooper graduate signs training camp contract with WNBA champions
Cooper graduate Lexi Held has signed a training camp contract with the Chicago Sky women’s professional basketball team that won last year’s WNBA championship.
Training camp will open on Sunday with Held among 20 players on the Sky roster. The team needs to trim the roster to 12 players by May 5, one day before the 2022 WNBA season begins.
Held was not among the college players selected in the WNBA draft after her senior season at DePaul University when she averaged 12.7 points and 5.2 assists per game. The 5-foot-10 guard was voted second-team All Big East for her role in the Blue Demons offense that finished with the highest scoring average (87.3) in NCAA Division I women’s basketball this season.
Held was a three-year starter at DePaul. Her career totals included 1,578 points and 388 assists, which ranks ninth in the team record books. The Blue Demons had a 63-26 record with her in the starting lineup over the last three seasons and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament this season.
