‘We’ve been waiting for this.’ Great Crossing wins 11th Region with stunning comeback.
Great Crossing trailed defending state runner-up Lexington Catholic by two runs in the top of the seventh inning during Wednesday night’s 11th Region Softball Tournament championship game when Ryann Livingston stepped to the plate.
Catcher Kendall Meade had just singled to center to start the inning. Livingston and the Warhawks had three outs left to change the narrative and knock off the Knights.
Momentum is a powerful thing. And, oftentimes, it’s difficult to even believe it can be harnessed.
“Honestly, going into that inning I was not motivated,” Livingston said. “Not until Kendall Meade came up to me, and she asked me: ‘strawberry or cookie dough?’ And I said, ‘cookie dough,’ and she said, ‘cookie dough always wins. Let’s do this.’”
Livingston then hit the first home run of her entire career, evening the playing field and shifting the momentum in Great Crossing’s favor.
“We knew,” Livingston said. “We knew. When (Meade) hit that single, I knew it was gonna happen.”
That 2-2 tie, and that sudden shift in momentum, evolved into a 3-2 Great Crossing victory in extra innings, which earned the Warhawks a spot in Kentucky’s Softball State Tournament for the first time.
Not only did Meade get things going for the Warhawks with that single, but she also sealed the deal later by delivering the final out, making a play at the plate in the bottom of the eighth.
But how did the Warhawks get there?
“I think I blacked out twice,” first-year Great Crossing head coach Heath Sutton said.
Great Crossing’s defense, anchored by pitcher (and 11th Region Tournament MVP) Brenna Parker, held strong in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings, and the Warhawks took full advantage of the opportunity.
UK signee Camryn Lookadoo doubled to left field with one out in the eighth, and a LexCath error on subsequent batter Ashtyn Holbrook’s line drive sent Lookadoo home to put Great Crossing up 3-2.
“None of us gave up,” Lookadoo said. “It wasn’t over. Just because it’s the seventh inning, it’s not over.”
LexCath secured the third out without another Warhawk crossing the plate and prepared to take care of business on offense. The Knights consistently pose a threat at the plate, with several hitters capable of producing at any given moment.
And, sure enough, Lexington Catholic put two on base in the bottom of the eighth before Great Crossing got the first out.
Great Crossing then benefited, as the team has all season, from a Parker strikeout. This time against Ava Emmert, who led LexCath in hits in its win over Scott County in the semifinals.
One out remained. Just one standing in the way of a historic moment for the Warhawks.
If there was anybody Great Crossing didn’t want gunning for home at a time like that, it was LexCath sophomore ace and leadoff batter Abby Hammond, who was standing on second base representing the tying run.
She’d caused problems for Great Crossing all game.
First it was her solo homer in the bottom of the third to put LexCath on the scoreboard. Then it was the second run she scored, sprinting home off an Emmert RBI single. Sutton even made the decision to intentionally walk Hammond twice during the game, and the second of those choices resulted in Hammond being the one standing in the way of the state tournament.
Not to mention, she had shut out the Warhawks until the seventh inning, and struck out 10 over eight innings.
“We knew that (intentional walk) was probably going to be an option,” Sutton explained. “You know, she’s crazy dangerous at the plate. So we talked about that pregame, we pitched to her the first two at-bats. She sent one out, and I wouldn’t be a coach if I allowed her to do it any more. So, my hat’s off to her. She’s an incredible player. She pitched an incredible game, and she’s just a threat.”
Olivia Ryan stepped up to the plate, with Hammond on second and catcher Lucy Nash on first. Ryan sent a beautiful line drive to center field, and Hammond set her sights on home.
The issue? Standing firm in center field was UK signee Delani Sullivan. Previously at shortstop, Sullivan has served as the core of the outfield this season. When Ryan’s hit moved Sullivan’s way, nobody was more sure of what came next than Meade, crouching behind home plate.
“I have so much confidence in Delani out there in center field,” Meade explained. “I just stay in there at home and wait for the ball to get back low. Honestly, everything, it’s all her. All I do is lay down the tag.”
And, when Sullivan fired the ball to Meade — just as Hammond zeroed in on what would be the tying run — Meade executed perfectly, tagging the LexCath star as she began to slide home.
Dust flew everywhere, but the outcome was clear: Great Crossing had successfully completed the comeback.
“We knew we could do it,” Sullivan said. “We just needed the parts and the pieces and everybody just came together like we knew we could.”
The Warhawks threw their mitts in the air and danced around the third-base line together, as the rest of the team poured out of the dugout to join them.
“This whole team,” Meade said. “Has been together for the past three years. So, we’ve been waiting for this for three years. So, to finally get it, we’re going to take it and run.”
In its victory, Great Crossing scored three runs on three hits.
“Every game we’re just fighting for a hit,” Parker said. “Fighting for someone on base. That’s what gets our wins, when we scrap together some runs. We all just have to hit the ball, and that’s what works for us.”
But, if you ask anybody else wearing Great Crossing green, they’ll tell you that Brenna Parker is what works for them.
Parker allowed just four hits and two runs and struck out six batters.
“She’s a sophomore,” Sutton said. “Doesn’t get rattled in the circle. She knows her team’s got her back. With that defense behind you, all she’s got to focus on is pitching. And that’s what she does.”
Next week, the Warhawks (30-4) will open against 2nd Region champ Henderson County and compete for a state title at UK’s John Cropp Stadium. An 11th Region team last won the state tournament as recently as Scott County in 2018. Per Lexington Catholic head coach Emery Emmert, Great Crossing has been well-prepared.
“I wish Great Crossing all the best,” Emmert said after his team finished its season 22-10. “There’s nothing like getting through this region to prepare you for state. I mean, when you get through this region, you are prepared to go to the state tournament. I’ve experienced that firsthand. We’ve experienced that as a team.”
After winning the 11th Region, the Warhawks aren’t simply ready to show up at the state tournament; they believe they can win it.
“The fight in this team is insane,” Livingston said. “I mean, I’m confident, you put one through nine up there, and every single one of us, we’re all playing for each other and we’re all gonna get the job done.”
11th Region All-Tournament Team
Jasmine Kaylor, Madison Central
Kinsley Redmon, Western Hills
Ashlan Estep, Madison Southern
Karsyn Rockvoan, Bryan Station
Ada Little, Scott County
Delaney Vaughn, Scott County
Trinity Bridges, Lafayette
Leah Holland, Lafayette
Abby Hammond, Lexington Catholic
Lucy Nash, Lexington Catholic
Ava Emmert, Lexington Catholic
Ryann Livingston, Great Crossing
Ashtyn Holbrook, Great Crossing
Camryn Lookadoo, Great Crossing
MVP: Brenna Parker, Great Crossing
State tournament
At UK’s John Cropp Stadium in Lexington
Schedule listed in bracketed order
Thursday, June 1
6 p.m.: Mercy (27-6) vs. 4th Region
9 p.m.: Ballard (32-1) vs. 8th Region
2 p.m.: Rowan County (33-4) vs. McCracken County (31-5)
11 a.m.: Johnson Central (27-9) vs. 9th Region
Friday, June 2
2 p.m.: Daviess County (30-4) vs. 13th Region
11 a.m.: 14th Region vs. 12th Region
9 p.m.: Henderson County (30-5) vs. Great Crossing (30-4)
6 p.m.: Central Hardin (32-8-1) vs. 10th Region
Saturday, June 3
Quarterfinal games at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Friday, June 9
Semifinal games at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Saturday, June 10
3 p.m.: Championship game
This story was originally published May 25, 2023 at 11:45 AM.
