NDA's Maria Schaefer breaks 100 RBI

Notre Dame Academy's trailblazing Maria Schaefer added to a lengthy list of accomplishments as a rare five-year starting softball player for the Pandas when she collected her 100th and 101st career RBI last week in dramatic fashion with a two-run home run in a win against Ursuline Academy.

She had an even better day Tuesday in the school theater while being honored during college athletics signing day. Schaefer announced she is heading to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in an attempt to win a starting role next season for the softball team after wowing them at Notre Dame.

Schaefer's shot in the 11-1 home win over Ursuline was the fourth home run of her career and first this season. The senior first baseman, Notre Dame's all-time RBI leader, is one of six Pandas with a homer, helping them set a single-season mark with nine. She's one off the team lead of two, shared by Abby Jones, Kelsey Michael and Haylee Smith.

Notre Dame's clean-up hitter is batting .410 this season, matching her career average as one of the few Pandas to hit over .400. Her fielding percentage is .977. She likes making the big play on defense just as much as getting the highlight hit. "My favorite thing about playing first base is taking someone's bad throw and turning it into an out," she said. "My teammates are working really hard, going deep in the hole to get a grounder, and sometimes they just don't have enough time to set and throw."

She's been a member of the Pandas since the seventh grade after the team made an exception to a rule and included players who were not attending the school. Schaefer at the time was at Blessed Sacrament Middle School, which didn't have a team. She reached out to Notre Dame, and made the junior varsity after one practice.

She was a starter the next year as an eighth-grader when NDA made another exception, allowing non-registered students to play varsity. Four other eighth-graders that season would go on to earn starting roles. As a sophomore, she led the area in extra-base hits, belting three homers, batting .490 and earning Northern Kentucky Coaches Association second-team honors.

Last year, she hit .313 following offseason shoulder surgery, and helped lead NDA to its first Ninth Region tournament championship in 14 years. The Pandas won 30 consecutive regional games, bridging 2013-14, and are ranked No. 1 in the Enquirer Northern Kentucky coaches' poll.

STATE POLL: Notre Dame garnered 33 votes in Tuesday's latest release of the Kentucky Softball Coaches Association Top 25 statewide poll, good for 29th-most. The Pandas are 14 votes outside the top 25. The closest they got was last week with the 26th-most votes (32). Ryle (9) is the only other local team receiving votes in this week's poll, topped by McCracken County for the eighth straight week.

DISTRICT UNBEATENS: Making it through their respective district schedules unscathed have been Notre Dame in the 35th District and Highlands in the 36th, and Bishop Brossart in the 37th. Walton-Verona was 5-0 in the 32nd District until losing 3-2 to visiting Grant County on Monday.

STREAKING BLUEBIRDS: Highlands has the longest winning streak among local teams, pushing it to 11 Tuesday with a 14-4 win over St. Henry, the Bluebirds' sixth straight game scoring in double digits. They outscored 11 opponents,109-16. "It includes five shutouts, six run-rules and a one-run no-hitter from Bailey Spencer vs. Brossart," coach Rob Coffey said. "We had key wins over Conner, Turpin, and NCC."

TIGERS GETTING HOT: The Beechwood Tigers won their seventh straight Monday, 9-4 over Villa Madonna, after winning 23-2 late last week against Bellevue, their highest run total of the season. Beechwood went 11-2 from April 23 through Monday, improving to 19-6. Beechwood plays at Highlands Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

VILLA MUCH IMPROVED: Villa Madonna is on the upswing. After scoring 87 runs last season and giving up 219, the Blue Lightning had 181 runs and allowed 118 following Beechwood, good for a 10-9 record. They were 4-14 last year. "We doubled the offensive production and cut the runs allowed in half," said coach Dave Meier, who received the 100th strikeout of the season from seventh-grade daughter Brooke Meier. She threw a three-hitter Friday while beating Covington Latin, 11-3.

HANKINSON COMMITS: All-32nd District senior catcher/infielder Emmalie Hankinson of Williamstown has signed to play softball at Thomas More College. She recently helped the Lady Demons snap out of a losing skid with three wins in five games after they had lost nine of 11.

TRACK AND FIELD: Upon further review, a different kind of history was made by the Simon Kenton boys' track and field team at Saturday's Class 3A Region 5 championships at Dixie Heights. The Pioneers thought they had their first-ever regional championship, but it turns out that it's their first in 49 years. "After further research, we found out that Simon Kenton won back in 1965," coach Jesse Herbst said. "It's still a great accomplishment."

Wednesday's Class A Region 4 boys' and girls' track and field championships at Walton-Verona Sports Complex were postponed until Friday. The meets will have the same schedule, with 5 p.m. start times. The last events are set to go off shortly after 9 p.m.

St. Henry is defending boys' and girls' team champion, but Bishop Brossart and Newport Central Catholic will challenge the Crusaders at both meets. Bishop Brossart was last year's boys' runner-up, losing to St. Henry by two points. NewCath was the girls' runner-up, St. Henry winning by 80.

The top two placers in each of Friday's events automatically qualify for the May 24 KHSAA Class A Track and Field Championships at University of Kentucky Outdoor Track Complex in Lexington.