A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Highlands player delivers game-winning hit in final inning of 9th Region softball championship game


 

Payton Brown slides across home plate to score the winning run for Highlands in the seventh inning of the 9th Region softball championship game. (Photo by Bob Jackson)


By Terry Boehmker

NKyTribune sports reporter

The 9th Region softball championship game ended in dramatic fashion Tuesday, thanks to two sisters on the Highlands team.

After eighth-grader Cam Markus drew a two-out walk to load the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning, sophomore Bailey Markus laced a single into right field that drove in two runs to give Highlands a 3-2 win over Dixie Heights in the region final at Notre Dame Academy.

Bailey Markus was all smiles after her game-winning hit for the Bluebirds. (Photo by Bob Jackson)

“You’ve always got to out-do the younger sister,” Bailey said of her game-winning hit. “There’s always a competition between us, but just having her on base made it 10 times better for me.”

Highlands (26-14) moves on to the state tournament and will play 4th Region champion South Warren (36-2) in a first-round game that’s scheduled for 9 p.m. Saturday at the University Kentucky’s John Cropp Stadium.

The last time Highlands made it to the state tournament was 2016. Three years ago, the Bluebirds lost to Dixie Heights, 4-3, in the final inning of a region semifinal game.

“We told them not to quit,” Highlands coach Milt Horner said of his team’s seventh-inning comeback on Tuesday. “Ironically, three years ago (Dixie Heights) did exactly the same thing to us. We were up one going into the bottom of the seventh and they scored two to beat us, so we turned it around this time.”

Three years ago, the players who got hits during the Bluebirds’ seventh-inning rally were in grade school. It started with a lead-off single by junior Carley Cramer. That was followed by a force out and a single by eighth-grader Payton Brown.

After an infield pop out, Cam Markus drew a walk from the ninth spot in the batting order to load the bases for her older sister, the team’s left-handed leadoff hitter. Dixie Heights pitcher Riley Hopkins had two strikes on Bailey Markus when she got the game-winning hit to right field.

Highlands sophomore Bailey Markus delivers the game-winning hit in the seventh inning. (Photo by Bob Jackson)

“It was inside,” Bailey said of the pitch from Hopkins. “She never throws me inside, so finally I got to show what I could do with pulling a pitch and taking it to the right side.”

Highlands scored the game’s first run in the fourth inning. Anna Greenwell, the team’s lone senior starter, reached base on a passed ball strike out and then stole second.

When junior pitcher Kennedy Baioni hit a long fly ball to center field, Greenwell tagged up and was able to score on an errant throw.

Dixie Heights (23-7) tied the score on a run-scoring single by senior Bri Patsel in the fifth inning and took a 2-1 lead in the sixth when junior Ella Steczynski scored from third base on a ground out.

The Colonels had a 6-3 advantage in hits before Highlands got three singles in the bottom of the seventh to come away with the victory.

“Unfortunately, we just couldn’t string the hits together,” said Dixie Heights coach Sarah Osborne. “Unfortunately, it’s been like that the past couple of games and it just carried over to (Tuesday). We just couldn’t get that big hit.”

The Highlands players named to the region all-tournament team were Bailey Markus, Baioni and Greenwell, who received the most valuable player award.

“Kennedy Baioni pitched fantastic for two days,” said coach Horner. “Anna Greenwell is an unbelievable leader and shortstop. She made so many plays and just willed us to get here.”

DIXIE HEIGHTS    000 011 0 — 2 6 2
HIGHLANDS         000 100 2 — 3 6 1

WP — Baioni (5 Ks). LP — Hopkins (3 Ks). HITTING LEADERS: DH — Patsel 2-4, Meyer 2B, Mitchell 2-3. H — B. Markus 2 RBI, Greenwell 2-3, Brown 2-3, 2B. RECORDS: Highlands 26-14, Dixie Heights 23-7.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Highlands — Anna Greenwell (MVP), Kennedy Baioni, Bailey Marcus. Dixie Heights — Becca Cundiff, Bri Patsel. Cooper — Gweny Wessling. Ryle — Maddie Goddard. Notre Dame — Morgan Huston. Villa Madonna — Cam Kratzer. NewCath — Natalie Haigis. Beechwood — Katie Rolf.


Related Posts

Leave a Comment