HIGH SCHOOL-KENTUCKY

Brossart, Campbell fall in region quarterfinals

Richard Skinner

rskinner@nky.com

Players from both Bishop Brossart and Campbell County wore pink uniforms for their rivalry game. Bishop Brossart beat Campbell County 6-3 in softball April 24.

Softball teams from the 40^th District have perennially dominated the 10^th Region Tournament.

Monday, two Northern Kentucky teams found out that still held true in this year's tournament at Scott.

Bishop Brossart, the 37^th District champion, let a fifth-inning 2-1 lead slip away in losing to 40^th District runner-up George Rogers Clark, 5-2, while 37^th District runner-up Campbell County committed seven errors on the way to falling to 40^th District champion Bourbon County, 12-1, in a game called after five innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.

George Rogers Clark (29-12) advances to face Nicholas County in a semifinal game at 6 tonight, while Bourbon County (24-12), which improved to 19-0 this season against 10^th Region teams, advances to face the Harrison County/Bracken County winner in the other semifinal at 7:30 tonight.

The 40^th District has produced the regional champion in seven of the last eight years.

Bishop Brossart (20-16) had a chance to cut the 40^th District's chances of winning another regional title in half when it carried a 2-1 lead into the top of the sixth inning. That lead came thanks to an RBI double by junior pitcher Karlie Shackelford in the second inning that tied the score at 1-1 and an RBI double in the fourth by sophomore catcher Amanda Lloyd.

George Rogers Clark got its winning rally started with the top of its lineup in the sixth. Junior pitcher Jenna Edwards led off with a smash that Brossart third baseman Allie Anstead couldn't field cleanly. One out later Shackelford walked Megan Terrel and Sydney Anderson singled to load the bases. Senior Kolbi Mitchell then lined a 1-0 pitch off the fence in right field that went for a single, but scored two runs and Melissa Hall followed with a sacrifice fly to up the lead to 4-2.

That big inning came after Brossart blew a chance to take a 3-1 lead on a botched suicide squeeze in the bottom of the fifth.

"I knew 2-1 wasn't good enough," said Brossart coach Tom Baynum. "Clark's been a good team for a long time and we know to win this region we have to beat the 40^th District, it's just that simple. If we get that we go up 3-1 and maybe it's enough, because the pressure is on them now and we're six outs away. We didn't get the bunts down today. We missed four or five opportunities and didn't get it done and that's what got us. We've done it very well and that's what's upsetting, because this team usually gets it done, but we didn't get it done."

Brossart loses just three seniors off this year's team though, and Shackelford says the experience of Monday's game should help her and her teammates next season.

"It's definitely a learning experience and I think everyone knows now the game can change on one hit, on one catch and one pitch so maybe next we can learn from that and come out and make it better," she said. "I think we're real close and we'll get it next year. We've got a great team."

Brossart made great strides as this season progressed, bouncing back from a 1-3 start to the season and winning seven of nine games after its record stood at 9-9 at one point.

"We're so close," said Baynum. "We have a good nucleus and these kids battled, they always do. It's a learning curve for the young ones and it's a tough way to end for the older ones that have to leave us today."

Bourbon County broke open its game with Campbell County by scoring six runs in the second to take a 7-0 lead. The Lady Colonels added four more runs on only two hits and two Campbell County errors and scored another run in the fourth thanks to three Campbell County errors.

George Rogers Clark 5, Bishop Brossart 2

WP-Edwards (7 Ks). LP-Shackelford. Hitting Leaders: BB-Lloyd 2B; Shackelford 2B. GRC-Edwards 2-4; Mitchell 2 RBI; Carrus 2B. Records: George Rogers Clark 29-12, Bishop Brossart 20-16.

Bourbon County 12, Campbell County 1

WP-Dailey. LP-Carroll. Hitting Leaders: CC-Carroll 2-2. BC-Arnold 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Green 2-3, 3B. Records: Bourbon County 24-12, Campbell County 11-14.

Kentucky baseball and softball regional tournament schedule for Tuesday

Baseball

8^th Region(at Henry County)

Monday's Quarterfinals Results

Upper Bracket

Anderson County 7, South Oldham 3

Carroll County 2, Grant County 1

Lower Bracket

Simon Kenton 5, Owen County 1

Collins 4, North Oldham 0

Today's Semifinals

Anderson County (16-13) vs. Carroll County (21-12), 6 p.m.