The spectre of the Owensboro Catholic Lady Aces has hung over Grayson County’s softball program for more than two decades.
Even when the Cougar teams were ranked highly in the state and featured players like former Miss Kentucky Softball, Michelle Critchelow, and 3rd Region Player of the Year, Beth Glasscock, the Cougars just could not get past the Lady Aces and advance to their first-ever State Tournament.
That long-lived demon may have finally been exorcized after the Cougars’ 5-3, come-from-behind victory over the Lady Aces Tuesday evening in the opening round of the rain-delayed 3rd Region Tournament.
Trailing 3-1 following a long rain delay, the Cougars erupted for three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead, then added an insurance run in the sixth. Junior right-hander Embry Thorpe then shut down the Lady Aces, retiring 11 of the last 12 batters she faced, including the last seven in a row to earn the win.
The two teams had been scheduled to face one another on Monday at McLean County, but rain forced a postponement until Tuesday, when the location was shifted to the Muhlenberg County Park, in Greenville.
The Lady Aces jumped out to an early lead with a run in the first inning. Danielle Henning led off with a groundball hit through the hole at short, and when left-fielder Emily Akins was tardy getting to the ball, Henning took second base.
Thorpe struck out the next two batters, but right-fielder Hannah Carter dropped a little fly ball into shallow right for a hit that scored Henning to make it 1-0.
The Cougars tied it 1-1 with a run in the second inning. With one out, Maddie Duvall singled to left and went to third when Rachael Snyder followed with a ringing double to the fence in left center. Lindsay O’Neal followed by laying down a bunt that scored Duvall with the Cougars’ first run.
Catholic went back in front with a run in the top of the third. Henning led off with a triple into the corner in left, then scored one out later on a sacrifice fly by Isabella Henning to make it 2-1.
The Lady Aces made it 3-1 with a run in the fourth inning. With one out, Thorpe walked Haley Carter. It was at this point that the game was halted for nearly an hour by rain.
When play resumed, designated player Mary Peak put down with a perfect bunt that she beat out for a hit. When first-baseman Gracie Franklin was unable to handle the throw from catcher Bailey Snyder, the runners advanced to second and third.
Third-baseman Taylor Dukate then hit a ball back to Thorpe in the circle for the second out of the inning, but Carter was able to score on the play to make it 3-1.
Grayson County’s bats came alive in their half of the fourth to rally for the winning runs. Mikayla Clark led off with a single into the hole at short. Snyder followed with a sacrifice attempt that moved Clark to second. When the throw from Aces’ catcher Hannah Latham went into right field, Clark was able to score to make it 3-2, and Snyder moved to second.
Duvall then plated Snyder with a double over the head of center-fielder Carson Flynn to tie the game at 3-3 as the Cougars fans went wild. Rachael Snyder followed with another single up the middle that brought in Duvall with what turned out to be the winning run.
Grayson County added an insurance run in the sixth inning when Duvall singled with one out, moved to second on an infield out, then scored on Lindsay O’Neal’s single up the middle. Thorpe then retired the Aces in order in the seventh and the Cougars celebrated their historic win.
When play resumes in the tournament, the Cougars will face Muhlenberg County, a 3-2 winner over Hancock County, in one semi-final game. Apollo will face Butler County in the other semi to determine who will vie for the regional title.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com
Maddie Duvall ripped a double that drove in Bailey
Snyder the tying run in the fourth inning.
Left-fielder Emily Akins made a fine, running catch
of a line drive off the bat of Hannah Carter in the third inning.
With sister Rachael watching from the sidelines, Bailey Snyder
rounds third to score the tying run in the fourth inning.
Maddie Duvall slides home with what turned out to
be the winning run in the fourth inning.
