Walton-Verona cruises through All 'A' pool play

Powered by the pitching of Hannah Thacker and clutch bats by the Ginn and Anderson cousins, the Walton-Verona softball team advanced to the Touchstone Energy All "A" Classic state tournament championship bracket for the fourth time in seven years with three wins Saturday at Jack Fisher Park in Owensboro.

Walton-Verona advanced to Sunday's second round for the first time since 2011 with its first unbeaten romp through pool play. The Bearcats also advanced to the championship bracket in 2008 and 2010.

Walton-Verona swept Pool A with a 4-1 win over Green County, a 10-3 win over Jenkins and an 8-4 victory against Middlesboro.

The Eighth Region champion moved on after six players received three hours sleep after leaving Friday's Walton-Verona prom at midnight in a van and meeting the team at a hotel.

The lack of rest didn't seem to bother Thacker. The senior won all three games and struck out a total of 24 batters, 10 each in the first two. "Hannah really stepped up and held them on the mound after not getting a lot of sleep," Bearcats coach Marlin Gregg said. "The kids right now are on cloud nine. Confidence is high because we were behind in all three games."

Senior Julann Ginn went 2-for-4 with a run-scoring single that plated junior cousin Jaylene Anderson to give Walton a 3-1 lead in the sixth against Green County. The Bearcats trailed 2-1 after two.

Ginn went 2-for-4 with a double, triple and four RBI against Jenkins, her two-run triple in the third making it 4-3. Jenkins led 3-2 after one.

Against Middlesboro, another cousin, freshman Aubrielle Anderson, went 2-for-3, and Jaylene Anderson's RBI single gave the Bearcats a 6-3 lead. Middlesboro led 3-2 after two innings.

With rain in Sunday's afternoon weather forecast, today's entire schedule has been moved up an hour. Walton-Verona plays an 8:30 a.m. (EST) first-round game against Pool C runner-up Pikeville. The winner advances to the 10:30 a.m. (EST) semifinals. The All "A" Classic final is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. (EST).

Ninth Region champion Newport Central Catholic went 2-1 Saturday and was Pool B runner-up after a series of mercy-rule routs. The Thoroughbreds beat Burgin 20-0, lost 10-0 to Livingston Central, and beat Whitesville Trinity, 11-1.

Pitcher Haley Meyers threw a three-inning perfect game against Burgin for her fourth no-hitter of the season. She two-hit Whitesville Trinity. "She's doing fine, and we hit the ball the first and third games after facing a juggernaut game two," NewCath coach Denny Barnes said. "Meyers only pitched 11 innings the first three games, so she should be good to go."

NewCath sent 18 batters to the plate in the first inning and scored 13 runs on three hits against Burgin, which made seven errors in the game. Kristen Schreiber had a first-inning RBI double, and Taylor Burkart added a two-run single in her second at-bat of the inning. Meyers struck out the side in the first and third.

The 'Breds were one-hit in the second game by Livingston Central, which won its 20th game of the season.

Meyers regained her form against Whitesville Trinity, and was backed by three hits each from Schreiber and Burkart, both of whom drove in two runs. Burkart's RBI single down the right-field line gave the 'Breds a 2-0 lead in the first. Loren Zimmerman's sacrifice fly to the first baseman during a nine-run second was caught but bobbled, allowing Casey Kohls to score from third for a 6-0 lead.

NewCath, advancing to the second day for the first time in three state trips, faces Pool D winner Louisville Holy Cross today at 8:30 a.m. (EST). The winner advances to the semifinals.

Tenth Region champion Bracken County was attempting to advance out of Pool D during a late Saturday contest after going 1-1 the first two games, and lost, ending its stay.

WALTON-VERONA BOX SCORES:

Walton-Verona 020 001 1 -- 4 - 7 - 3

Green County 100 000 0 -- 1 - 4 - 2

WP: Thacker (12-5) 10 K's. LP: Matney. Leaders: W-Ginn 2-4, 2 2B. Records: W 14-5, G 13-5

Jenkins 300 000 0 -- 3 - 3 - 3

Walton-Verona 205 300 0 -- 10 - 9 - 3

WP: Thacker (13-5) 10 K's. LP: Estedez. Leaders: W-DeZarn 2-3; Ginn 2-4, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI; Wassem 2B. Records: J 16-2, W 15-5.

Walton-Verona 201 014 0 -- 8 -- 11 - 2

Middlesboro 030 000 1 -- 4 - 5 - 3

WP: Thacker (13-5) 4 K's. LP: Shields. Leaders: Wassem 2-4; Rouse 2-3; Brauer 2-3; A. Anderson 2-3. Records: W 16-5, M 10-5.

NEWPORT CENTRAL CATHOLIC BOX SCORES:

NewCath (13)34 -- 20 - 9 - 0

Burgin 000 -- 0 - 0 - 7

WP: Meyers (11-1) 7 K's. LP: Adams. Leaders: Neace 3-4, 2 RBI; Burkart 2-2, 2 RBI; Zimmerman 2B, 2 RBI; Schreiber 2B. Records: N 12-2, B 4-7.

NewCath 000 00 -- 0 - 1 - 1

Livington Central 206 20 -- 10 - 7 - 0

WP: Merritt. LP: Meyers (11-2). Leaders: L-Merritt 2-3, 2B; Lampley 2-3, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI; Dean 2-3, 2B, 3 RBI. Records: N 12-3, L 20-6.

NewCath 290 02 -- 11 - 14 - 4

Whitesville Trinity 010 00 -- 1 - 2 - 6

WP: Meyers (12-2). LP: Howard. Leaders: N-Schreiber 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Burkart 3-4, 2 RBI; Mertle 2-3; Meyers 2-3. Records: N 13-3. W 6-11.