HARRODSBURG – Three wins down. Two more to go.
That’s the goal of the Anderson County Lady Bearcats.
Winning a pair of games in the district tournament and the opener of the Eighth Region play on Sunday afternoon, the Lady Bearcats are just two wins away from making another trip to the state softball tournament.
In the opener on Sunday, Anderson County powered through some weather issues to defeat the Owen County Lady Rebels 17-3 in five innings.
Needing to get the game played on schedule, as the semifinals of the regional was set for Tuesday, Anderson County leaned on Mercer County leadership. With their own field unplayable due to the constant rains, the turf complex 20 minutes down the road was perfect.
The only problem was that a couple of occasions, umpires ordered the players to their dugouts when rain returned.
No matter the weather, it was all Anderson County.
Owen County, a district runner-up, put together three hits in the first inning to get the opening run on the scoreboard.
However, Anderson County starter Sophie Toll would allow just two more hits the rest of the game.
Anderson County made it a tough day for freshman Lady Rebel hurler Hallie Tirey. She gave up 11 hits and five walks. Her team also committed four errors on the night.
In the bottom of the first, Lady Bearcat Emma Stevens led off with a walk and promptly stole second. Madison Glass reached on an infield hit. Stevens would score on a wild pitch and Bailey Mitchell walked.
An infield hit by Anna Rhody loaded the bases.
Liliana Mefford’s tapper to the mound appeared to be a force play at the plate. However, the toss came out of the catcher’s mitt, allowing Glass to score.
With the bases still loaded, Reagan Ashby worked an RBI walk and Allie Womack’s fly ball brought in another run.
Toll helped her own cause with an RBI single and Riley Hobbs’ bunt plated the sixth run.
In the bottom of the second, with one out, Mitchell reached on an infield hit and Rhody walked.
Mefford’s single to center field scored a run. With two outs, Womack’s grounder was misplayed to load the bases.
That’s when Toll’s blast to deep center field cleared the bases to make it 10-1.
Three more Lady Bearcats would cross the plate in the third inning.
Stevens walked and Glass reached on an error, which scored the leadoff hitter. After Mitchell reached on an infield single, Rhody drove home a pair with a blast to center field.
That made it 13-1 entering the top of the fourth.
Owen County put two runs on the scoreboard.
JaiDean Branam led off with a walk. With one out, Peyton Buchanan reached on a bunt single.
When Lexie Chappell hit a ball to the shortstop, Glass attempted to tag Branam but missed her. When she threw to second for the force out, the ball was not in time. Branam would score on the play.
Buchanan would score on Peyton Perkins’ infield single to make it 13-3.
Anderson County would get four runs back in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Toll had a single and Paige Garland came off the bench for a single.
A walk to Stevens loaded the bases. Glass hit a double that cleared the bases one more time to make it 16-3.
Glass would score on Rhody’s sacrifice fly to right field.
Owen County would threaten in the fifth inning.
Abigayle Dempsey reached on an error and Lois Kemper was awarded first base on a catcher’s interference call.
When Buchanan reached on an infield single, the bases were loaded.
But Toll closed out the game by inducing a fly ball to left field.
Head coach Jeremy Dempsey’s Lady Rebels finished the season with a 19-13 season.
For Anderson County head coach Samantha Smith, the surge is coming at just the right time.
“For the past couple of weeks, we have had a good approach at the plate,” said Smith, who is in her first year at the helm. “We have a plan and we attack the ball.”
Even the outs are hard hit and Smith said the team is playing with a lot of confidence.
She was proud the way her players dealt with the rain delays.
“We handled it well,” Smith said of the weather. “But we’re always eager to play.”
She likes to be aggressive on the bases and helps when the team has a lot of speed, especially Stevens.
Smith also liked Toll’s performance in the circle, especially after giving up the early run.
With Toll and Garland, Smith has two excellent hurlers who can work in the circle.
Getting the game played was important. The goal now is to prepare for the Tuesday night encounter at Ulmer Stadium on the University of Louisville campus. The Lady Bearcats will play the 8 p.m. game against either South Oldham or Grant County, who played later Sunday evening.
The championship game will be on Thursday with the winner advancing to the state tournament in Lexington.