Timely hits lift Fern Creek softball past Bullitt East in district tournament semifinals
After a slow start at the plate through three innings against Bullitt East in Saturday’s 24th District softball semifinal, you could feel the urgency in the Fern Creek bleachers.
“Let’s start hitting the ball,” Tigers coach Rob Robinson thought. After all, he remembered what had happened the last time his team faced the Chargers on May 10.
“Last time we played Bullitt East, we didn’t hit the ball until the sixth inning,” said Robinson. “In the sixth and seventh we scored eight runs and lost 10-8. I was telling the girls we’ve got to start in the first.”
The Tigers shook off a rough start Saturday and delivered in the fourth inning, as senior designated hitter Jada McAlmont used a three-run homer to give Fern Creek the lift it needed, clearing the way for a 5-3 win over Bullitt East.
"It was coming right down the middle," said McAlmont. "My coach told me to wait on it. My dad told me to keep my head in the zone. I did both, and it went out."
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The Tigers’ season has been full of ups and downs. The team has struggled at times to put all three phases of a game together on a consistent basis.
They've faced issues in the regular season, dropping three of their last four games heading into the district tournament. But Robinson was proud of the way his players put it all together Saturday to overcome a two-run deficit and punch their ticket to the district finals.
“At times, we had some problems either hitting, fielding or pitching the ball,” Robinson said. “Today, we put it together.”
What it means
Fern Creek will move on to play Mercy (15-14) in the 24th District championship game on at 6 p.m. Monday back at Bullitt East. The Tigers beat the Jaguars 8-4 last time they played each other on May 4.
Bullitt East finishes its season 15-11.
Key moment
McAlmont's bases-clearing homer in the fourth inning was a marquee moment. But the Tigers also had some clutch hits late to add insurance runs to the final score.
Freshman third baseman Skylar Brown clocked an RBI single to score junior shortstop Hannah Bowles in the fifth inning, and junior catcher Shelby Stivers crushed an RBI double with two outs that drove in McAlmont in the bottom of the sixth.
By the numbers
Fern Creek sophomore starting pitcher Ally Richardson finished with five strikeouts, six hits, six walks and two runs in seven innings. She also finished with two hits in three plate appearances. Bowles finished with two hits, two walks and a run scored. Stivers finished two-for-four with a double.
They said it
McAlmont on beating Bullitt East the second time around: "I didn't want this to be my last game. We had to come out here and give it our all. We lost to them last time we played them, so this was definitely a comeback game."
Richardson on playing Mercy in the district championship: "I'm looking forward to being able to pitch. All of us working together, I hope we can pull it together."
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Reach Jonathan Saxon at JSaxon@gannett.com or 502-715-1393 and follow him on Twitter at @TheSleepyScribe.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KHSAA softball: Fern Creek tops Bullitt East in 24th District semifinal
