Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

From Jack C. Riley Park in Owensboro, we’re getting ready for the Final Four to begin at 9 a.m. CT (10 ET).

Boyle County faces Mercy in the winners’ bracket finals.

The loser of that game will drop down to play the winner of the other 9 a.m. game, the losers’ bracket semifinals between Lone Oak and Greenwood.

The winners’ bracket champ will await the losers’ bracket survivor.

* Mercy scores four runs in the top of the first against Boyle County.

Jordan Vorbrink singled in one run. Another scored on Erika Downey’s squeeze bunt. Two more came home on Aubrey Meiners’ base hit.

Lone Oak leads Greenwood 1-0 in the third inning.

* Mercy adds two runs, one earned, in the top of the second to take a 6-0 lead over Boyle County.

Lone Oak leads Greenwood 1-0 in the fourth inning.

* Mercy goes to the bullpen to open the second inning. Haley Twymann replaces J.J. Francis and sets Boyle County down 1-2-3. Through two complete, Mercy leads 6-0.

The Rebels also go to the bullpen, with Elyse Petrie out to open the third inning.

Lone Oak leads Greenwood 1-0 in the fifth inning.

* Boyle County mounts its first serious threat in the third inning, putting runners on second and third with one out. Mercy‘s Haley Twymann punches out the next two batters to keep the Jaguars in control, 6-0, through three innings.

Greenwood and Lone Oak are tied 1-1 in the sixth inning.

* Boyle County goes down 1-2-3 in the fourth inning, still trails Mercy 6-0 in the winners’ bracket finals.

In the losers’ bracket semifinals, Greenwood and Lone Oak are tied at 1 in the seventh.

* Mercy adds two runs in the top of the fifth to lead Boyle County 8-0.

Lone Oak caps a 2-1 eight-inning victory over Greenwood.

* In the middle of the sixth inning, Mercy leads Boyle County 8-0 in the winners’ bracket finale.

* Mercy‘s Haley Twymann strikes out the side in order. The Jaguars go to the seventh inning with an 8-0 lead over Boyle County.

* Mercy completes an 8-0 victory over Boyle County in the winners’ bracket finals.

The loss drops Boyle to the losers’ bracket finals versus Lone Oak, to start soon.

The Boyle-Lone Oak winner will face Mercy with the championship on the line at 1 p.m. CT.

If Mercy loses that game, a deciding game would follow.

* Coming off an 8-0 shutout loss to Mercy, Boyle County gets off to a good start in the losers’ bracket finals by scoring a run in the top of the first against Lone Oak.

Heather Hasty reached on a one-out double. Courtesy runner Shelby Bishop scored on Hannah Miniard‘s single to right.

* Lone Oak goes down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first, as does Boyle County in the top of the second. In the middle of the second, Boyle County leads 1-0.

* Sarah Kreuter leads off the second inning with Lone Oak‘s first hit off of Hannah Miniard, but can’t score. Through two innings, Boyle County leads 1-0.

* Lone Oak ties Boyle County in the third inning, but runs itself out of the rally.

With the bases full and nobody out, Alex Sohl drove in the run with a sacrifice fly to center. However, Whitney Asprey was doubled up as she tried to advance from first to second, and then Jacqueline Roof was caught for the third out when she tried to go from second to home.

* Lone Oak gets back-to-back two-out doubles by Whitney Aspery and Alex Sohl to score a run and take a 2-1 lead over Boyle County through five complete innings.

* In the top of the sixth, Boyle County’s K.K. Daniels rips a ground-rule double that one-hops the fence in left-center. Sammi Key follows with a gapper to right-center, but it robbed of a run-scoring hit when CF Sarah Kreuter makes a diving catch. To the bottom of the sixth, Lone Oak leads 2-1.

* Last chance for Boyle County. Through six complete innings, Lone Oak leads the Rebels 2-1.

* Boyle County comes back to tie Lone Oak 2-2, scoring a run in the top of the seventh.

Amy Woolum reaches on a one-out error, then is bunted to second by Elyse Petrie.

Lauren Richards sends a sinking liner to right, where Kelsee Henson tries for a shoestring catch. The ball gets past her for a triple, with Woolum scoring. Richards is stranded at third.

* Lone Oak wins in the bottom of the seventh.

Kelsee Henson leads off with a double, then scores when Jacqueline Roof’s sacrifice bunt is misplayed for an error. Final: Lone Oak 3, Boyle County 2.

The Purple Flash advance to face Mercy for the tournament championship.

* Mercy opens the state championship game with four consecutive hits and leads Lone Oak 3-0.

* Through three complete innings, Mercy leads Lone Oak 4-0. If the Jaguars hold on, they win the state championship. If Lone Oak comes back to win, a deciding game will follow.

* Through 4 1/2 innings, Mercy leads Lone Oak 4-0.

With teams from the Herald-Leader circulation are eliminated, I am now heading home.

Keep up with tournament scores on Twitter: @khsaaevents

This entry was posted on June 9, 2012 at 9:51 am and is filed under Boyle County High School, Greenwood High School, Lone Oak, Mercy Academy, Softball. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.