'Worked their butts off': Highlands softball repeats as 9th Region champions
It was deja vu, not only for Dixie Heights but for Michelle Barth.
The junior catcher came through in the clutch for the second day in a row with a two-run double that scored Morgan Pompilio and Payton Brown. The hit broke a 2-2 tie and proved to be the winner as Highlands won the Ninth Region softball championship for the second straight year.
For the Colonels, they suffered a third-straight loss to Highlands in heartbreaking fashion. Last year's regional tournament championship ended on a Bailey Markus walk-off single. Brown hit a two-run double in the seventh inning of their game on April 12 to give the Bluebirds a 7-5 win.
More: Here's how Dixie Heights and Highlands set up a 9th Region championship game rematch
"This one's on me," Dixie Heights head coach Sarah Osborne said.
Dixie played a clean game with only one error, but Osborne was referring to her call to send Skylar Mitchell around third on a Highlands error in the sixth inning. An aggressive call to take the lead backfired as Mitchell was thrown out at the plate. The Colonels had to take all they could against Bluebirds starter Kaitlyn Dixon, who allowed just three hits while striking out eight.
"Catching (Kaitlyn) is so easy because she just gets it done," Barth said.
Dixon took over in the circle after Kennedy Baioni injured her knee in late April. She knew that her senior compatriots were always options as pitchers, but the freshman embraced the starting role.
"Both of them have been really supportive because they know that if they're not pitching, I am, and they want it just as bad as I do," Dixon said.
Highlands pounced early. Seniors Carley Cramer and Baioni each doubled in the second inning. Dixon followed with a single to give the Bluebirds an early 2-0 lead. Dixie returned the favor in the fourth inning, capitalizing on two of the Bluebirds' four errors in the game. Junior pitcher Riley Hopkins helped her own cause by driving in Taylor Ingram to tie the game at 2-2.
"We knew that we had to get it done and we knew that we had to score early," Cramer said.
With the game tied heading to the late innings, anticipation built for an all-too-familiar, thrilling finish. The Colonels loaded the bases in the seventh before eighth-grader Haley Waters struck out. With the top of the lineup leading off extra innings, the Bluebirds pounced on a missed opportunity.
Pompilio reached on an error. Brown, who scored the winning run against Cooper, singled before Barth stepped to the plate.
"I knew (Hopkins) was getting tired. I knew she was slowing down. I knew she's probably going to throw a couple balls. So I just sat back and waited on that second pitch," Barth said.
Her heroics earned her MVP honors and punctuated a season in which outsiders doubted Highlands' ability to repeat.
"From a team perspective, our team has worked their butts off," Baioni said.
Highlands coach Milt Horner is the president of the Northern Kentucky Softball Coaches Association and is constantly trying to grow the game. A group of middle schoolers, including Horner's granddaughters, were on hand to watch his team win the title. He thinks this weekend's action only helps that cause.
"Fastpitch softball isn't very high on anybody's 'come watch' list. But anybody that came and watched these three games this weekend? My neighbor was here. They'd never seen a game," Horner said.
Highlands will turn around on three days' rest to face Johnson Central in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Sweet 16 at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 1, at the University of Kentucky's John Cropp Stadium.
Standout players
Michelle Barth, Highlands: The tournament MVP's lone hit of the game was the Bluebirds' biggest hit of the season, driving in the winning runs in the eighth inning.
Kaitlyn Dixon, Highlands: One day after throwing 125 pitches in 10 innings, she tossed all eight innings against Dixie Heights. Dixon gave up one earned run and struck out 22 batters in 18 innings over two days.
Sydney Schumacher, Dixie Heights: She reached base twice. Her only hit of the game was a game-tying single in the fourth inning.
Senior shoutout
In her final high school game, Dixie Heights' Ella Steczynski made several defensive plays at shortstop that proved why she was one of the best infielders in Northern Kentucky this season. She caught several line drives destined for the outfield and made a diving stop and throw to first to prevent Highlands from scoring.
Steczynski reached base three times in Sunday's championship. She started the Colonels' rally in the fourth inning when she reached on an error, eventually coming around to score.
The Colonels finish the year with a 21-14 record. After starting the season 6-9, then turned it around to go on a 15-5 run to close the campaign.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 2023 KHSAA softball: Highlands repeats as Ninth Region champions
