Tri-State Showcase: Barrett, Wildcats conduct hit parade in win over Bulldogs

Matthew Sparks, The Daily Independent, Ashland, Ky.
Updated ·5 min read

Apr. 15—CANNONSBURG — Ashtyn Barrett would have looked all night for her latest softball souvenir.

Five innings earlier, the senior parked a two-run home run over the center field fence at the old Boyd County softball field and she wasn't leaving the premises without the symbol of the mammoth shot.

All eyes were on the Wildcats leadoff hitter after her 4-for-5 performance at the plate against Lawrence County in the closing game of the Tri-State Showcase on Saturday. It set the tone for Bath County and its 14-2 win in six innings.

"Coming into the season, I always have a picture in my head of what the lineup is going to be," Bath County coach Kenny Williams said. "But we fell on some adversity, and I started changing the lineup a little bit. I moved Ashtyn down to third. It didn't work out and we moved her back. You're only going to leadoff one time in a game anyway. She's making it work. It must look like a beach ball when it comes at her."

Barrett said she prefers her top spot but also feels she can contribute at any spot in the batting order. The senior had a double, two singles, five RBIs and a coveted softball to take home after her teammates helped her comb through the tall grass and the creek bed to find it.

"I have hit six home runs this season," Barrett said. "It's always special. I always put the date, the game and who we play on the ball. I love to keep them."

"It doesn't matter to me where I'm at," she added. "I love to move people around (the bases), but I also love to start the game with a hit. I love setting the tone and getting everybody hyped. I want to have a winning mentality."

Bath County (14-7) closed out a big week with Saturday's victory. The Wildcats returned from spring break and immediately competed in the Kentucky 2A, Section 6 Tournament before hosting Showcase games for the first time on Friday night.

Oak Hills, Ohio, outlasted Bath County in extra innings before the host team defeated Sacred Heart from Louisville. The Wildcats ended the week on a high note after producing 20 hits against Lawrence County (13-5).

"We were 12-6 when this whole thing started," Williams said. "Twenty years ago, if we were 12-6, I would be tickled to death. Now, it feels like we are not finding ourselves. But we came out and hit the ball really well against Oak Hills. We put together a big sixth inning against Sacred Heart to win and put them away. To come out here and to do it against (Lawrence County), it's big. Credit to (my team). They came ready to play."

The final game started 90 minutes behind schedule. Bath County committed a throwing error that led to two Bulldog runs in the first inning and staked the Wildcats to an early deficit.

Bath County answered with four runs in the second and never gave up its lead. It was the Wildcats' turn to take advantage of a pair of Lawrence County miscues.

Taylor Hodson scored with an error, a wild pitch and a passed ball. Kassidy Thomas came home on a double steal before Barrett put a blast over the fence.

"I was a little worried because we got here and had to sit," Williams said. "They went through the pregame and did their thing. They came out and absolutely crushed the ball. Enough said."

Every player in the Bath County lineup had at least one hit. Ashlee Rogers was 2 for 4 at the dish. Kylee Hodson posted three hits and Thomas added two singles in her four at-bats. Kirsten Vice was a perfect 4 for 4.

"We are really hitting the ball well," Barrett said. "I think it starts off when one of us gets a hit, everybody gets a hit."

Lawrence County coach Kenny Horn hoped the momentum for his team's first game of day could survive the 10-minute bus ride from Boyd County's new field to the old one at the former high school near Addington Field.

The Bulldogs defeated Pulaski County, 11-3, earlier in the day.

"You just have to be ready to play no matter where the game is," Horn said. "We weren't ready to play this game. I don't know what the deal was (against Bath County). We were just asleep at the wheel."

Lawrence County had three 1-2-3 innings and had the bases loaded in the third inning, but couldn't push one across.

"The pitching wasn't much different from game to game," Horn said. "We just hit the ball (in the first game). We had errors in that game, but our errors against Bath was an atrocity."

The Wildcats opened the sixth inning with six straight hits. Taylor Hodson and Rogers each had RBI doubles during the stretch. Kylee Hodson and Allie Dillion recorded run-scoring singles. Barrett finished the scoring with a two-run double.

Vice hurled a complete game and claimed a victory in the circle. She gave up just four hits.

"She has that real fast motion," Williams said. "She is not Montana Fouts. She is not going to blow it past anybody. But when she is on her game, she is tricky. She has a lot of spin. This is probably one of the best games that she has pitched all year."

BATH CO. 041 036 — 14 20 1

LAWRENCE CO. 200 000 — 2 4 3

Vice and Hughes. Blevins, Triplett (4) and Crum. W—Vice. L—Blevins. 2B—Crum (LC), Barrett (BC), T. Hodson (BC), Rogers (BC), K. Hodson (BC). HR—Barrett (BC).