Seventh grader Jaylah Kees stroked a walk-off single Saturday not only to give the Russellville Lady Panthers a 13-12 win over Cumberland County but also to win the program’s first Class A regional championship. The tournament was held at Metcalfe County.
Coach Ryan Davenport’s team earned a berth in the state Class A tournament on April 28-29 in Owensboro.
Kees drove in Chloe Whitescarver with the winning run with two outs in the seventh. Whitescarver had walked with one out and one on, but Susanna Higgins forced Tonisha Hampton at third for the second out. Taryn Gray walked to load the bases, and then Kees knocked in Whitescarver to end the game.
Russellville had built a 10-run lead in the fifth inning. They scored six runs in the third, all after two outs. Kees and Brinley Mason reached on errors and Tonisha Hampton doubled. Brooklyn Ray cleared the bases with a grand slam before Whitescarver doubled and scored on Higgins’ single. Gray reached on an error, which scored Higgins.
In the fifth inning, Ray singled and scored on Whitescarver’s homer.
Addie Mosier pitched the first four innings and gave up four runs, three of them earned, on a pair each of hits and walks. Gray pitched one inning. She was throwing strikes but Cumberland was hitting her. A’miyah Collier pitched the final four innings, giving up four runs but getting the win on her cousin’s hit.
Collier had two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs. Ray had two hits, including the grand slam. Whitescarver doubled, homered, scored three runs and drove in two. Higgins had two hits and drove in three runs. Brinley Mason reached base three times on a walk and two errors. Natalie Cates scored as a courtesy runner.
Reagan Grider had three each of hits and RBIs for Cumberland. Bailey Morgan also had three hits. Hannah Ballard took the complete-game loss on the mound.
The difference was in walks and homers. RHS pitching gave up only two walks and no homers. The Lady Panthers walked six times and homered twice.
RHS 12, Todd 9
Earlier in the day, the Lady Panthers had started the semifinals strong with a 6-run first inning against Todd Central. Collier led off with a double, Hampton reach on an error and they both scored on Ray’s double. Ray advanced on a passed ball and scored on Whitescarver’s groundout to third. Higgins singled, stole second, and scored on Kees’ single. Mosier singled, moved up on a passed ball. Hannah Alford walked, and scored when Collier’s ball was booted.
Russellville added a pair of runs on just one hit in the fourth when Hampton walked and Ray singled. Hampton scored on Whitescarver’s ground out. After Higgins walked, Ray scored on an error on a ball hit by Gray.
Despite the early lead, the Lady Rebels tied the game in the top of the sixth when Jordan Weathers reached on an error, advanced on Michaela Robertson’s doubled and scored on Emma Harris’ single.
Davenport’s team scored the winning three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Mosier singled and with two outs came home on Collier’s double. Hampton singled her in and then came home herself on Ray’s single.
Mosier, who worked the last two innings, retired Todd batters in the seventh for the win. She gave up the one run on two hits and no walks. Gray pitched the first four innings; she allowed eight runs (six earned) on seven hits and five walks with four strikeouts.
Ray had three each of hits and RBIs plus a walk while scoring twice. Hampton also had three hits and a walk, and she scored three runs while driving in two. Joining them with three hits was Collier, who scored three runs and legged out a triple. Mosier had a pair hits and runs. Higgins got a hit and walked twice, and Alford walked twice. Kees added the team’s 13th hit.
Harris had three hits for the Lady Rebels. Whitney Higgins had two hits and scored twice, Maddie Williams had two hits, and Rachael Bilyeu scored twice. Williams pitched the entire six innings.
RHS 12, Monroe 9
The score was the same a week earlier when Russellville beat a Monroe County team which Davenport said was the regional favorite 12-9 in the tournament opener.
RHS led 8-5 going into the seventh inning. As the visitors, the Lady Panthers built that lead to 12-5 in the of the final frame, but the Lady Falcons provided a scare with four runs of their own before Gray got the final out.
In the seventh, Davenport got six straight singles from Mosier, Mason, Collier, Hampton, Ray and Whitescarver to produce those four uns.
Collier had four hits and scored twice. Whitescarver finished with three hits, including two doubles, and an RBI. Winning pitcher Gray got on three times with a single, a double and a walk. She scored two runs and drove in two. Ray had three hits with two each of runs and RBIs. Mason had two hits with Kees, Higgins and Hampton getting one each.
Brylee Pickerell had three hits on offense for the Lady Falcons but pitched the entire distance on the loss, and all 12 runs were earned. Madison Richmond had two hits and two RBIs.
RHS 12, Warren Central 1
The Lady Panthers crushed Central 12-1 in their season opener, which was not part of the Class A tournament.
Russellville banged out six extra base hits with Whitescaver tripling and doubling, Kees homering, Collier tripling, and Higgins and Mosier each doubling. Collier had three hits with Higgins and Whitescarver each getting two. Kees had five RBIs while Hampton, Higgins and Whitescarver added 2 each.
Gray was the winning pitcher, throwing 4.2 innings of hitless ball. Mossier got the final out to preserve the no-hitter.