One of their state tournament motivators? The darkest spray tan possible for coach.

Boyle County Coach Brian Deem will get a head start on his summer tan this week.

Deem each season, if the Rebels earn a bid to the state tournament, does something “crazy.” One year he pierced his ears. Another he cut his hair unusually. This year? He promised his players he’d get the darkest shade possible at a spray-on tanning facility.

Time to deliver the crazy: Boyle County defeated Woodford County, 3-2, in the semi-state round Saturday at Berea College to earn a trip to the KHSAA State Softball Tournament, which for the first time in its history will be held at the University of Kentucky’s John Cropp Stadium.

Quarterfinal play begins Friday. Boyle County will meet 7th Region champion Male — which is undefeated and the undisputed team to beat in this year’s field. A game time has not yet been decided.

“It feels outstanding, to be able to go to UK, the new venue, the whole 9 yards,” Deem said. “Hats off to (Woodford County Coach) Les (Anderson) and his kids. They gave us a great fight. We knew it’d be a battle, but our kids have been persevering all year, playing a tough schedule, and it’s paid off for us in the postseason.”

The Rebels jumped on the Yellow Jackets early, putting up all three runs over the game’s first two innings. Boyle pitcher Katy Grace Chadwell backed her effort in the circle with an RBI single, scoring Izzy Gervacio, who in the next inning tacked on two more for the Rebels with a single of her own.

Boyle had an opportunity to do further damage in the third, with two runners in scoring position and two outs, but Woodford opted for a pitching change mid-at bat — Jocelyn Edwards for starter Claire Lehmkuhler — and Edwards’ first pitch completed a strikeout. Woodford County retired 12 of Boyle’s final 13 batters but couldn’t generate enough runs in the end.

Delaney Enlow on a single delivered Woodford’s first run in the top of the third. The Jackets stranded two in that frame before stranding three more in the fourth. They went down in order in the fifth before threatening again in the sixth; a quick-footed snag by Maddie Baker at third base robbed Woodford County of at least one run, and possibly another, and ended the frame. Abby Moffet knocked in a second run for the Yellow Jackets but they couldn’t get beyond second base.

Baker’s play turned out to be a game-changer. Gervacio, a maker of multiple plays herself all over center field on Saturday, loved it.

“It pumped me up,” Gervacio said. “I have so much trust in my defense and I know they’re gonna make the routine plays to get us out of innings.”

Gervacio recently got a spray tan for prom but said it wasn’t very distinguishable on her because she has naturally dark skin. Deem on the other hand ...

“He’s kinda white, so I can’t wait to see him with it all in,” she said.

Next game

Boyle County vs. Male

What: State tournament quarterfinal

When: Friday (time TBA)

Where: UK’s John Cropp Stadium

This story was originally published June 1, 2019 at 4:19 PM.