[16th Region]

Boyd County finally bests rival
Wheeler’s two-run shot lifts Lady Lions over Ashland, 4-3
Rocky Stanley
The Independent The Daily Independent Thu May 24, 2012, 01:51 AM EDT

CANNONSBURG — Boyd County’s proud softball program has been aching for a victory over archrival Ashland.

The law of averages caught up with the Kittens on Wednesday.

Ashland dominated the series of high-profile area teams the past six years and held a one-run lead going to the seventh inning of the 64th District championship game.

Boyd County sophomore Taylor Wheeler changed that with one swing, launching a two-run homer to straightaway center to give her team a dramatic 4-3 win.

Wheeler said she was so emotionally choked up, she could hardly breathe while circling the bases.

“She (Kelsee Hammonds) pitched a really good game,” Wheeler said. “I guess I got a hold of it. It was perfect timing.”

Ashland, which outscored the Lady Lions 44-3 in the past four district finals, still had the last turn at bat as the designated home team.

McKenzie Vanover promptly swatted a double to lead off the Kittens’ bottom of the seventh. But Boyd County leftfielder Taylor Newsome tracked a fly ball and doubled the pinch-runner off second base. Standout shortstop Emily Stewart sealed it with a diving grab of Jordan Hensley’s line drive and was mobbed by teammates.

“What a game,” Boyd County coach Geoff Stewart said. “I’ve been telling the girls we can play with Ashland. We needed confidence. I think we grew up today.”

The Lady Lions’ 27th win of the season stood out from all the rest.

“As a team, we needed to get over this hump,” Geoff Stewart said. “We felt we had a good enough team to compete with, and beat Ashland. We showed an extreme amount of heart and didn’t let them have a big inning, like they always have done.”

Freshman pitcher Lora Thompson went the distance for Boyd County, allowing 11 hits but only single runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings. Ashland, ranked 26th in the final state coaches’ poll, came in averaging 10 runs.

Both teams will advance to the 16th Region Tournament next week at Rowan County.

“I think it’s great these kids got to battle like this,” Ashland coach Dave Miller said. “It’s a great rivalry. It didn’t turn out the way we wanted, so now we will regroup and go try to get a region.”

Home runs from Wheeler — named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player — and junior catcher Allison Roark accounted for three of Boyd County’s four runs.

Roark sat out last spring with a torn ACL from basketball, while Wheeler missed most of the 2011 season due to mononucleosis.

Hammonds allowed one hit through the first three innings before Roark hit a solo shot to center with two outs in the fourth.

“It felt really great,” said Roark, who started her high school career at Ashland before transferring to Boyd County for her freshman year. “I always wanted to do that against them. When Taylor hit hers, it was even more exciting. It got our team pumped up.”

Roark, one of Boyd County’s four All-Tournament selections, went 3-for-3 and knocked in three runs against Fairview in the tournament opener.

“Allison played the best two games of her career the last two days,” Geoff Stewart said. “I think what she figured out is she got some competition (at her position) and has responded very well.”

Kaitlin Brown followed Roark’s homer with a run-scoring double in the fourth to put the Lady Lions ahead 2-1.

Ashland (22-4) pulled even in the bottom of the inning as Megan Hensley and Katie Caron each doubled. The Kittens took the lead in the fifth on consecutive singles from Emily Preece, Jordan Hensley and her freshman sister.

Hammonds retired the Lady Lions in order in the sixth inning, then got the first batter to start the seventh before Bri Crooks singled ahead of Wheeler’s blast.

“We left a couple of pitches up,” Miller said. “Of 119 pitches, two of them we would like to have back. I thought Kelsee pitched an extremely good ballgame.”

Wheeler has five home runs this season, including three in the past week. She hit two in Boyd County’s Senior Night romp over Greenup County.

“Taylor is having an outstanding year,” Stewart said. “She’s been flirting with the .450 mark all season, along with being an outstanding defensive player. She’s a great athlete who works extremely hard.”

For Ashland, Megan Hensley scored two runs and drove in the other. She finished 3-for-3 at the plate.

“Megan has had a great, great season, and she’s done it hurt,” Wheeler said of the freshman’s on-going battle with tendinitis.

Caron and Preece each finished with two hits for the Kittens. Boyd County’s Crooks singled twice, while Wheeler had a single to with her home run.



ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

MVP—Taylor Wheeler (Boyd County); Allison Roark (Boyd County); Caitlin Coburn (Boyd County); Lora Thompson (Boyd County); McKenzie Vanover (Ashland); Katie Caron (Ashland); Megan Hensley (Ashland); Taylor Thompson (Fairview); Madison Kirk (Fairview).



BOYD CO. 000 200 2 — 4 7 1

ASHLAND 010 110 0 — 3 11 1

Thompson and Roark; Hammonds and Preece. W—Thompson. L—Hammonds. 2B—M. Hensley (A), Caron (A), Vanover (A). HR—Roark (BC), Wheeler (BC).


Congrats to Boyd Co and those all tourny team.

[Sportsnutt]

Great job Boyd co. Great game! Good luck to both teams in the region.

[outsidein]

Big upset...... Everyone has been talking about Ashland and they loose against Russell and Boyd.... region will be interesting