‘We didn’t want it to be a close game.’ Big inning sends Henderson Co. past Great Crossing.
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2023 Kentucky high school sports state championships
KHSAA state championships are playing out this weekend and next across four sports in Lexington, and the Herald-Leader’s staff of writers and photographers are covering all the action. Click below for highlights from the baseball, softball, tennis and track and field state championships.
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Henderson County softball secured its place in the 2023 Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Softball State Tournament quarterfinals with an impressive four-run fourth inning in a 6-2 victory against 11th Region champion Great Crossing.
The 2nd Region champ had just lost its lead in the top of the fourth when Great Crossing’s Emma Sutton hit an RBI single to send Delani Sullivan home and tie things up at one run apiece.
“I think that we just knew it was starting to get close,” Henderson County pitcher Anna Kemp said. “They just came back and scored after we put one up there, and we didn’t want it to be a close game. We’ve had a couple of those up here, and just trying to break away there. Get some runs. Helps me, helps all of us, really, to just relax and play together.”
The Colonels started their half of the fourth in good scoring position after Great Crossing pitcher Brenna Parker walked both Kendal Hargrove and JaMara Byrum. Henderson County then fired off hits from Hallie McCracken, Mackenzie Burczyk and Kemp to add four runs, taking a 5-1 lead.
“We got deep in some counts,” Great Crossing head coach Heath Sutton said. “Which, you know, when you get deep in the count, it forces the ball over the middle. And against that team right there? I mean, they’re a solid hitting team. One through nine, they’re a solid hitting team. We knew that coming into it. But sometimes they don’t always go your way.”
Great Crossing’s Aubrey Green hit an RBI double to send Emma Sutton home and cut the Colonels’ lead to three, but later a Kemp line drive brought both Azayah Hall home and the lead back to four.
Parker struck out three batters and allowed six runs on eight hits over six innings. Kemp struck out 12 batters while allowing two runs on seven hits.
“Anna has carried us in the postseason,” Henderson County head coach Shannon Troutman said. “Anna Kemp’s been wonderful. She’s got three different pitches that she really controls real well … And changes speeds good, hits her spots and she’s a bulldog. She wants the ball in any big game.”
East Jessamine 5, Perry County Central 1: East Jessamine first got on the scoreboard in the top of the second with two outs, when Remie Smith scored off a Perry County Central error.
Natalie Alimento soon after made it to first following another Perry Central error. Both Kylee Oliver and Emily Searcy crossed home plate during the sequence.
Perry Central committed five errors over the course of seven innings while Searcy led the Jaguars with two hits in three at-bats.
The Jaguars tacked on two additional runs in the top of the third, securing a comfortable five-run cushion.
Kayleigh White scored thanks to a sacrifice fly from Taegan Bently, putting the Jaguars up 4-0. Following a Perry Central error that sent Alexandra Cox-Smith to third base, Jessyca Searcy hit a sacrifice fly herself to bring Cox-Smith home.
East Jessamine was anchored by White in the circle for all seven innings, striking out 13 batters and allowing just one run on seven hits.
The Commodores’ one run was scored in the bottom of the third when Lauren Morris doubled to right field and to score Ashlyn Dixon. East Jessamine proceeded to shut them out for the rest of the game.
East Jessamine committed zero errors, and it scored five runs on six hits in 28 at-bats.
Daviess County 16, South Laurel 0: Daviess County started strong when Sadie Morris crossed home plate in the top of the first, and the Panthers never looked back, run-ruling the Cardinals in five innings.
The Panthers scored 16 runs on 11 hits with zero errors over the course of the game. Five of those runs arrived in the top of the third.
Raylee Roby pitched three innings for Daviess County, allowing no runs on just one hit and striking out six batters. Sophia Cain and Kamryn Timmons split relief time, combining for five strikeouts.
Central Hardin 8, Harrison County 3: Central Hardin took back the lead in the top of the fifth when Jenna Smith broke a 3-3 tie with a single that sent two runners home.
The Bruins picked up two additional runs in the top of the sixth when Claire Taylor singled to second and knocked in both Allie Link and Payton Campbell.
Link later hit a sacrifice bunt in the top of the seventh to send Adison Carter across home plate.
Central Hardin’s Emma Watkins allowed three runs on seven hits while recording four strikeouts. Watkins was relieved by Smith in the sixth inning.
This story was originally published June 3, 2023 at 10:15 AM.
