2006 Kentucky High School Softball

Monday, June 12, 2006

Ryle: State Champs

Perhaps we are seeing the winds of change: the Ryle Raiders end the western dominance of Kentucky high school softball with a state championship, defeating the state's premier program in the process. Ryle was under the radar this season simply because of their geographic location. The Raiders had as good a regular season as a Greenwood, or a Christian County, or an Owensboro Catholic. Ryle finished runners-up to North Hardin in the Ballard Invitational (defeated Lafayette and Christian County while there) and was champion of the Sluggerfest (defeated Christian County, again, and host Allen County-Scottsville). Other wins included South Laurel, Lafayette (again) and Dunbar. Despite rising to #2 in my poll, I didn't give Ryle much of a shot at state against the western powers. Turns out I was wrong, as the Raiders capitalized on a favorable draw, beat Henderson County (in a most regrettable fashion, more on that later), took down North Hardin, and then held off a red-hot Owensboro Catholic team in the end. But what's better news for Ryle, their star pitcher Kirsten (not Kristen, my apologies), is only a sophomore; she'll have two more years to make her mark in Kentucky high school softball. Don't be surprised if this sophomore sensation adds another state championship to her belt before she's done. Congratulations to Ryle for a great season and a most impressive State Championship.

On Friday night, I put my eye on Owensboro Catholic, which had been sent to the loser's bracket. I recalled the 1999 State Tournament, in which the Aces lost early and then won seven straight to take the state championship. As for this year, the Aces won six straight before falling. Credit Coach George Randolph for keeping his team focused after losing early, something the Aces don't do much at state. Even though Owensboro Catholic did not enjoy its best season, they still were nearly good enough to beat everyone else.

North Hardin knew they would have to ride the arm of Jennifer Young (UK-bound, by the way, an excellent choice Jennifer), and the Trojans rode that arm to the best finish by a 5th region team in state history. The Trojans caught everyone's attention early at the Ballard Invitational, and despite disapperaing somewhat during the middle of the season, they came back strong at the end. Congrats to the Trojans for a great season and a big congrats to Young for a great career at North Hardin.

I wouldn't call Butler a Cinderella per se, but the Bears did surprise somewhat by going all the way to 4th after losing in the first round against the state champion. Many people might forget about the 6th region when discussing Louisville softball, but keep in mind that Butler finished 4th at state in 1999 and 2nd in 2001. The Bears have never gone two years without a state tournament appearance, and when the Bears have qualified for state, they have taken advantage. Congrats to Butler for a great season.

Now, finally, our 5th place teams: Henderson County and Greenwood. The Colonels were locked in a fierce battle with Ryle in the winner's bracket semifinal on Saturday morning when Stacy Whitmer suffered a hand injury that knocked her out of play. Ryle took advantage, scoring a run and moving on to the winner's bracket final. The Colonels fell to the consolation bracket and fell quickly to Butler 8-1. There are many "what-ifs" we could play, but unfortunately, Henderson County's chances disapperared with this injury. However, it was a fantastic season for the Colonels, and a spectacular career for Whitmer. Congrats to Henderson County all the way around. As for the Gators, a solid Friday turned sour quickly on Saturday, losing to North Hardin and then to Owensboro Catholic, both by a 3-2 margin. It was a disappointing end for the Gators, who entered as my state tournament favorite (if that meant everything), but it doesn't diminish the season that Greenwood had. Two tournament championships (including Owensboro Catholic's premier event) and a long-last 4th region title over Allen County-Scottsville made it a great season for the Gators. The career of Brittany York, who by the way has been named the 2006 Kentucky Miss Softball, comes to a close, but the Louisville-bound Gator had a spectacular career. By all accounts, she represented the Greenwood program as well as any had before her. Congratulations to her for a great run at Greenwood.

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As for this blog, it probably ends today. I cannot thank all of you enough for not only reading my blog, but participating in the comment threads. I didn't know if I would keep this going throughout the season, but your attention gave me enough incentive to keep plugging along. This season has been a great experience for all of us. At this point, I'd like to congratulate all the teams on their seasons, and I'd also like to offer a big congrats to all the seniors out there on their spectacular careers. We've had a lot of fun watching you compete. As for you fans, I hope to return next season with another blog for Kentucky high school softball; hopefully I can take all the criticism I've gotten (hehe) and learn from it. And for high school football and boys' basketball fans, I plan to run blogs on both of those sports next year. Just look out for me on KY Preps for the links. Everyone have a great summer, and I'll see you on the message boards.

Ben Osborne

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Saturday

Winner's Bracket Semifinals

North Hardin 3 Greenwood 2
Ryle 1 Henderson County 0

Winner's Bracket Championship

Ryle 1 North Hardin 0

State Championship

Game 1: Owensboro Catholic 4 Ryle 2
Game 2: Ryle 5 Owensboro Catholic 2

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Consolation Bracket

Butler 5 Woodford County 4
Owensboro Catholic 14 Oldham County 0 (5 innings)

Butler 8 Henderson County 1
Owensboro Catholic 3 Greenwood 2

Owensboro Catholic 5 Butler 1

Owensboro Catholic 6 North Hardin 1

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7th Place: Woodford County
7th Place: Oldham County
5th Place: Henderson County
5th Place: Greenwood
4th Place: Butler
3rd Place: North Hardin

Runner-up: Owensboro Catholic

State Champion: Ryle

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I'll have a full state tournament recap either tonight or tomorrow.

Friday, June 09, 2006

So it comes down to this...

Eight teams will fight for the state championship on Saturday...

Ryle
Henderson County
Greenwood
North Hardin
Butler

Woodford County
Owensboro Catholic
Oldham County


Now a preview of each game we know will happen...
Note: All times EST

Ryle vs. Henderson County
Winners' Semifinal One 9 a.m.
Ryle, as expected, advanced easily through their favorable draw. Henderson County downed the defending state champion Owensboro Catholic is one of the better games from Friday. Now these two will face off, and the game will feature perhaps the state's two best pitchers--sophomore Kristen Allen and senior Stacy Whitmer.

Greenwood v. North Hardin
Winners' Semifinal Two 9 a.m.
Ironically, this semifinal could be viewed as a game between Louisville and Kentucky. Next year, Greenwood's Brittany York will play for the Cards, while North Hardin's Jennifer Young will suit up for the 'Cats. Today, York and Young will likely pitch against one another in this high-stakes game.

Butler v. Woodford County
Consolation Bracket, Game 23 10:30 a.m.
Butler made the move of Friday with an upset win over Mercy. Now the Bears move on to face another Cinderella, the Woodford County Yellow Jackets. The Yellow Jackets stung Reidland and South Laurel on Friday; how many surprises will this team, led by freshman pitcher Kristen Perry, bring on Saturday?

Owensboro Catholic v. Oldham County
Consolation Bracket, Game 24 10:30 a.m.
It has been a wonderful ride for Oldham County for making it through day one of the state tournament. Now, the 8th region champion will face its toughest test. Catholic fell to Henderson County, but began its march through the consolation bracket with a resounding win over Reidland.

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It's going to be a fun Saturday in Jeffersontown. It is no coincidence that what many people consider to be the four best pitchers in the state will all be throwing at 9 a.m. tomorrow. But buried deep in the consolation bracket is Owensboro Catholic. Seven years ago, the Aces lost in the second round to the second region team, Christian County, by a score of 1-0. Catholic proceeded to win seven straight games, including the final two against the Colonels, to take their second consecutive state championship. On Friday, Catholic lost in the second round to the second region team, the Henderson County Colonels, by a score of 1-0. Catholic will, once again, need to win seven games to win their second consecutive state championship...one down, six to go.

Friday

First Round Scores

Oldham County 4 Pulaski County 1
Ryle 5 Butler 0
Henderson County 5 Shelby Valley 0
Owensboro Catholic 10 South Laurel 0 (6 innings)
Greenwood 7 George Rogers Clark 2
Woodford County 2 Reidland 0
North Hardin 3 Estill County 0
Mercy 1 Russell 0

Second Round Scores

Ryle 2 Oldham County 1
Henderson County 1 Owensboro Catholic 0
Greenwood 9 Woodford County 0
North Hardin 3 Mercy 2

Consolation Bracket

Butler 9 Pulaski County 0
South Laurel 6 Shelby Valley 4
Reidland 3 George Rogers Clark 2
Russell 14 Estill County 1 (6 innings)

Woodford County 2 South Laurel 0
Owensboro Catholic 8 Reidland 2
Oldham County 5 Russell 3

Thursday, June 08, 2006

State Tournament Week: Thursday

Predictions!

First Round
Oldham County d. Pulaski County
Ryle d. Butler
Henderson County d. Shelby Valley
Owensboro Catholic d. South Laurel

Greenwood d. George Rogers Clark
Woodford County d. Reidland

North Hardin d. Estill County
Mercy d. Russell
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Second Round
Ryle d. Oldham County
Henderson County d. Owensboro Catholic
Greenwood d. Woodford County

Mercy d. North Hardin
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Third Round
Henderson County d. Ryle
Mercy d. Greenwood
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Fourth Round
Henderson County d. Mercy
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Consolation Bracket
Butler d. Pulaski County
South Laurel d. Shelby Valley
Reidland d. George Rogers Clark
Estill County d. Russell

North Hardin d. Butler
South Laurel d. Woodford County
Owensboro Catholic d. Reidland
Estill County d. Oldham County

North Hardin d. South Laurel (7th place)
Owensboro Catholic d. Estill County (7th place)

North Hardin d. Ryle (5th place)
Greenwood d. Owensboro Catholic (5th place)

Greenwood d. North Hardin (4th place)

Greenwood d. Mercy (3rd place)
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State Championship
Greenwood d. Henderson County
Greenwood d. Henderson County

STATE RUNNER-UP: HENDERSON COUNTY COLONELS
STATE CHAMPION: GREENWOOD GATORS

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

State Tournament Week: Wednesday

Alright, enough looking back...let's look ahead to this weekend...

The Favorites
--Henderson County (region 2, 28-11-1)
Things looked bad for the Colonels. A loss to Union County at district matched them up with Christian County at region, but these Colonels persevered and marched to a regional championship. This team finished third at state last season, and with the state's most dominant pitcher in Stacy Whitmer, the Colonels will have a good shot at improving their state finish. Offense is a question, but nine runs scored against Hopkins Central in the regional finale looks promising.

--Owensboro Catholic (region 3, 28-11-1)
After being upset in their own tournament and then stunned in the 9th District Tournament, it seemed that this might be the year that the Aces failed to make the state tournament. Not so fast my friends, as Catholic survived Edmonson County at region and then waltzed to the title. With Megan Aull leading the way, Catholic features an amazingly efficient offensive attack. However, do the Aces have enough pitching to go all the way?

--Greenwood (region 4, 32-6-1)
The Gators return to state for the first time since 2003, fresh off their breakthrough regional championship win over Allen County-Scottsville. Greenwood features two of the state's best arms in Brittany York and Rachel Riley, along with likely the state's best batting lineup. On paper, the Gators look perfect. At the 4th region tournament, the Gators looked perfect. Will "perfect" follow them to Jeffersontown?

--Mercy (region 7, 27-10)
For a Louisville team, the Jaguars aren't really getting a lot of press. But perhaps this weekend will be the weekend when everyone is paying attention to Josh Bloomer's squad. Mercy turned the 7th region into their own personal playground in the postseason, stomping Male, Manual and Ballard by a combined 20-4. Their road to state was as tough as any of the favorites listed here; the Jaguars will be hard to stop if they continue their good play.

VERY Good Chance To Win
--Reidland (region 1, 33-6)
Three of their five postseason runs have come by one run, so while they haven't been dominant like a Mercy or Greenwood, the Greyhounds have learned how to win close games, which is just as an important skill. Reidland's pitching duo of Lane and King rival some of the state's best pitching duos, so pitching shouldn't be a problem for the Greyhounds. However, will there be enough offense to provide insurance runs in tight spots?

--North Hardin (region 5, 28-6)
The Trojans were the talk of Kentucky softball after blowing through the field at the Ballard Tournament in April, but 5th region champ has slid back into the shadows ever since. However, senior Jennifer Young has been one of the state's best pitchers all season, and if North Hardin could dominate the way they did in April, I'd say they still could do the same in June.

--Ryle (region 9, 33-6)
Ryle is the state's biggest mystery. While Whitmer and York and Young get tossed around as state's best pitcher, a Raider sophomore might best them all. Kristen Allen has dominated northern Kentucky this season, and the young pitcher has state tournament experience from a year ago. Ryle has beaten South Laurel, Christian County and Allen County-Scottsville this season, but in the state tournament format, will pitching depth be a problem?

--South Laurel (region 13, 29-9)
The Cardinals might seem like a long shot in this category, but South returns to state for the third consecutive year, this time in the 13th region. They've beaten North Laurel twice, including the regional semifinals, so the Cardinals know how to win in pressure situations. A tough draw might doom them, but this weekend, I assure you, will be full of surprises.

Cinderella, anyone?
--Butler (region 6, 26-9)
Watch out for the Bears here. Perhaps the most underrated team in the state this season, the 6th region champ has defeated Henderson County, North Laurel and Union County. The Bears didn't allow one run in either their district or regional tournaments; in fact, they haven't been scored upon since May 19. Don't expect that streak to continue, but don't be surprised to see the Bears going deep into the state tournament.

--Woodford County (region 11, 19-14)
I recall one comment earlier this year saying that Woodford County deserved to be ranked even though they won't win their region. Well here the Yellow Jackets are, led by one of the state's best young pitchers in Kristen Perry and full of confidence. Woodford County was great early and now appear great late; can the Yellow Jackets sting the best teams at state?

--Estill County (region 14, 24-14)
Haven't we been here before? Last season, the Engineers choo-chooed (I love this verb!) to a fourth place finish at state, stunning everyone in the process. What's to say they can't do it again? They've beaten Manual and Woodford County, and a few more wins this weekend wouldn't be all that surprising.

--Russell (region 16, 28-12)
If experience means anything, then the Red Devils should be sitting pretty: this is Russell's sixth consecutive trip to the state tournament. Last year, they collected two wins and came within a run of upsetting Allen County-Scottsville on Saturday morning. This season, Russell has wins over both the Laurels. Estill County taught us that all Eastern Kentucky teams are not irrelevant at the state level. Could the Red Devils continue this lesson?

Best of the Rest
--Oldham County (region 8, 27-9)
Oldham County came out of the wide open 8th region, but it'll be a tall order for them to make any mark at state outside their first round game against Pulaski County. However, they beat PRP and lost to Manual in 10 innings.

--George Rogers Clark (region 10, 29-11)
The Cardinals took advantage of Estill County's flight from the 10th region by winning the regional championship. Now, GRC gets the enjoyable task of taking on the Greenwood Gators in the first round of the state tournament.

--Pulaski County (region 12, 27-12)
While Danville and Southwestern were predominant favorites in the 12th region, Pulaski County came out of nowhere to take the regional title. Early this season, they fell to North Laurel only by a run, but South Laurel punished them a couple of weeks ago by a 16-3 count.

--Shelby Valley (region 15, 25-11)
This team, at first glance, has an impressive resume. They own wins over Danville, Manual and Larue County. They have the state's all-time leader in wins in Cortney Bentley. However, history works against the Valley here, as the 15th region has only collected three wins at state since fast pitch was born in 1995.

I guess I'll make some predictions tomorrow...

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

State Tournament Week: Tuesday

There's been some good discussion about who Miss Softball should be, but it looks as if it comes down to two candidates: Henderson County's Stacy Whitmer and Greenwood's Brittany York. Is it too much to ask for these two and their respective teams to meet in the state championship game?

Here's today's question for discussion...

What was the best game of the year?

I have to put my .02 in here: Owensboro Catholic vs. Allen County-Scottsville in the semifinals of the Sports Warehouse Classic was a thriller. The teams went back and forth for the first six innings, and entering the 7th, the score was tied at 4. It seemed that Catholic broke through for good, scoring three runs in the top of the inning. But the Patriots rallied, scoring four runs in the bottom of the 7th, including scoring the tying and winning runs on a pass ball + throwing error. It was some game, but I'm sure there are many more to talk about. What do you think?

Monday, June 05, 2006

State Tournament Week: Monday

And so the 124 teams that started Regional Tournament Week with a State Championship dream has been cut down to 16 teams. Here is how the bracket sets up...
Note: Region notated in parenthesis, not ranking

(8) Oldham County
(12) Pulaski County

(6) Butler
(9) Ryle

(2) Henderson County
(15) Shelby Valley

(3) Owensboro Catholic
(13) South Laurel

(4) Greenwood
(10) George Rogers Clark

(11) Woodford County
(1) Reidland

(5) North Hardin
(14) Estill County

(7) Mercy
(16) Russell

I will release my predictions later this week. But here is my question today, as we look back on the season...

Who will be Miss Softball?

There are a host of players that could contend for the award. Who do you think should win the title of Miss Softball 2006, and more importantly, why? I'm eager to see what you all think.