‘It’s indescribable’: Cinderella season continues for Lewis County softball team

It’s not midnight yet.

The Lewis County softball team kept its Cinderella season going on Friday afternoon with a 6-2 upset victory over Boyle County in the quarterfinals of the KHSAA state tournament. The win advanced the first-time 16th Region winner to the farthest it has ever been in the postseason in their first appearance on the dance floor.

“I knew one swing of the bat could change things dramatically. I did say that to Emily [Cole] before she went up there and hit her home run. One swing can change things dramatically,” Lady Lions Head Coach Joe Hampton said after the game at UK’s John Cropp Stadium.

One swing of the bat did change things rather significantly in Lewis’ favor late in the game. Leadoff hitter Kayla Sullivan was up against a full count with two outs on the board and the game tied 1-1 in the top of the sixth inning. The bases were loaded, just like they were in Sullivan’s previous plate appearance in the fourth inning when she grounded out to the pitcher to strand three base runners and leave the game tied.

The second time was the charm for Sullivan as she smacked the 3-2 pitch over the center fielder’s head for a bases-clearing triple to give Lewis County a 4-1 lead. It was her only hit of the day, but it proved to be the difference-maker.

“I knew that it wasn’t going to be a high pitch because she tried that and it didn’t really work. She’s a really good pitcher, but I knew it was going to be right down the middle or outside,” Sullivan said.

Boyle County scored a run in the bottom of the frame but never threatened Lewis’ lead, especially after the Lady Lions added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh. They erupted into a joyful celebration after recording the final out to continue the school’s best postseason run.

“It’s indescribable being in the final four; for our county, it’s just a really good feeling,” Cole, the Lady Lions’ starting pitcher, said.

Cole threw a complete game for Lewis County. She gave up three hits, two runs and struck out six while not allowing a walk. She also hit a solo home run over the center-field fence in the fourth, which tied the game at 1-1.

Later in the inning, Boyle County subbed out starting pitcher Kyndall Honaker and brought in its ace, Kayleigh White, to get the Lady Rebels out of a jam. White ultimately did her job, capped off by the groundout from Sullivan, but the original decision not to start White did upset the Lady Lions.

“We were a little offended they didn’t start their ace, we’ll just say it,” Hampton said.

White pitched four innings but gave up three hits, five runs and six walks while striking out seven. The Lady Rebels finished the season with a 28-7 record.

Daviess County also reached the state semifinals after it defeated Pendleton County 8-4 in their quarterfinal game Friday afternoon.

Daviess County committed four errors in the game, all of which came in the third inning, but it overcame the mistakes by compiling five hits and four runs in the fifth and sixth innings to steal the victory.

“We felt like if we could turn that lineup over and as we continued to see her, we were going to be able to put some balls in play and we were able to do that, get some people on base,” Lady Panthers head coach John Biggs Sr. said after the game. “Some kids came up with some key hits for us. Katie [Mewes] gets a key hit for us. Milly [Miller Roberts] had been struggling a bit; she gets a big hit for us.”

Mewes’ single in the fifth inning brought in the game-tying run. The Lady Panthers retook the lead for good later in the inning off an error that allowed Kayley Payne to reach home plate.

“This team is so competitive and we’re not just playing for ourselves, we’re playing for each other,” Mewes said. “We’re all here fighting to try and make it as far as we can. We have really big goals in mind.”

Greysyne Whiteker got the start in the circle for the Lady Panthers and gave up four hits and four runs in three innings pitched. Raylee Roby pitched the remaining four innings in relief and gave up three hits and no runs while striking out seven to help turn the tide for her team.

The appearance in the state semifinals is a first for both Lewis County and Daviess County. They will battle at 11 a.m. Saturday for a spot in Sunday’s state championship game.

“Their pitcher, from what we’ve heard and what we saw earlier, she spins it really well. I’m not sure if she’s going to overpower us but she’s going to spin it and we’re going to go with the same philosophy, just putting balls in play,” Biggs Sr. said.