Jun. 6—FLEMINGSBURG “Evidently, we are not allowed to beat Russell by more than one run.”
Ashland coach Scott Ingram quipped those words after the Kittens and Lady Devils produced another thriller on Saturday afternoon.
Ashland picked up its third win over Russell this season by the slimmest of margins. The Kittens scored two runs in the ninth inning to extend its season with an 8-7 victory in the 16th Region Tournament quarterfinals at Fleming County High School.
Ashland had the immediate answer to the Lady Devils offensive production and countered with its own. Russell scored a run in the top of the ninth to claim its third lead of the game only to have Ashland collect the walk-off win on Tabitha Cassidy’s RBI single.
“We showed a lot of resilience and a lot of fight,” Ingram said. “It was the third time we were down in the ball game, but we just kept fighting and fighting. I can’t say enough about this team. It was big win. Russell played their guts out, too. My hats off to them.”
“They put pressure on us all day,” Ingram added after the coach had time to exhale after the extra-innings win. “We got a couple of breaks here and there. Sometimes that is what it takes.”
Russell coach Nikki Beek mirrored the comments from Ingram about her own team and the fight they showed, not only in postseason, but for the whole 2021 campaign.
“They started this season so strong,” Beek said. “We faced some adversity towards the end, but through all that, they never lost the fight or that drive. This team plays with grit and I think it all came together in the postseason. They capitalized on their abilities.”
Lilly Holland opened the Russell ninth inning with a single. Josie Atkins reached base on a bunt attempt and an Ashland throwing error allowed Holland to score from second base.
Lauren Spears parked a solo homer in the fifth inning that resulted in an intentional walk in her next at-bat.
The Lady Devils decided to pitch to her to lead off the ninth and the catcher doubled into the gap in right-center field. Kenzi Robinson singled to put Spears in scoring position.
Kendall Hillard laced a base hit into right field. Spears came home and courtesy runner Laney Sorrell rounded third and made a charge to the plate. The relay home took a hard bounce off the dirt and missed its mark that allowed the Kittens to score the winning run.
Ingram was pleased with his team’s focus and toughness. It contributed to the comeback.
“I’d just as soon not be down again for the rest of the tournament,” Ingram said. “In this atmosphere and in crunch time, we were able to battle back.”
Russell (13-17) grabbed an early lead after Hannah Allen plated Savannah Atkinson and Ansley Dotson with a double in the third inning.
Dotson was injured on the play and left the game. Beek inserted freshman Ava Ratliff into the lineup and she responded with her first varsity home run in the fifth, part of a four-run inning for the Lady Devils.
An Ashland miscue and an Audrey Patel RBI double scored two more tallies in the frame.
Ratliff finished 3 for 3 at the dish.
“When Ava has stepped in, it’s been huge,” Beek said. “She has shown this type of talent throughout the year, but we never had a spot to throw her into until today. She doesn’t miss a beat. At one point, you could look out and see four freshmen and two juniors in our infield, so the future is strong and bright for us.”
Ashland (18-14) responded with four runs in the third inning. The Kittens recorded five hits in the frame, including a two-run single by Kendall Hillard and an RBI hits from Camryn Cassidy and Erin Patrick.
Spears’s dinger in the fifth was complimented by Tabitha Cassidy’s first RBI of the contest on a double four batters later to tie the score at 6-6.
Both starting pitchers went the distance. Patel and Robinson both faced runners in the scoring position during the eighth inning but closed out the stanza with groundout.
Robinson took the win in the circle for the Kittens.
“She may not have had her best stuff today but give credit to Russell for making adjustments,” Ingram said. “Kenzi made some adjustments. It was just a heck of a ball game today.”
(606) 326-2654 — msparks@dailyindependent.com
RUSSELL 002 040 001 — 7 13 1
ASHLAND 004 020 002 — 8 12 3
Patel and Holland; Robinson and Spears. W—Robinson. L—Patel. 2B—Allen (R), Patel (R), T. Cassidy (A), Spears (A). HR—Ratliff (R), Spears (A).