Before we delve into the busy sports world, we would be remiss if we didn’t recognize the importance of Memorial Day.
Monday represents a solemn reminder that we need to pay our respects to all of the warriors who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Memorial Day weekend is filled with sports of all sorts across the country, and it has morphed into a three-day celebration that unofficially kicks off the summer season.
The true meaning goes much deeper.
While we’re enjoying cookouts and get togethers with family and friends on Monday, the least we can do is pause and reflect in remembrance of all of the men and women who gave their lives for this great country. Never forget that without their bravery, we would not be enjoying the freedoms we enjoy each and every day.
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MY BAD, AND CONGRATULATIONS – In my Wednesday column in a segment on the upcoming 10th Region softball tournament, I committed a major faux pas.
I’m using my old age as an excuse, but there’s really no good excuse for the omission. I really intended to mention the Mason County Lady Royals in the softball blurb, but I got in a hurry and went on to the next topic before doing so. My apologies to head coach Brian “Rabbit” Littleton, his coaching staff, and especially to the young ladies, for the grievous error.
The Lady Royals captured the 39th District championship with an impressive 2-0 victory over Bracken County in Brooksville after I wrote the column, and the win propels them into the
10th Region tournament at Scott on Monday evening. Mason County will take a 22-12 record into that encounter against 38th District runner-up Pendleton County (13-15), a team that defeated the Lady Royals 7-5 on April 16.
Solid defense and strong pitching, which is always synonymous with winning softball, led to the win, which dropped the Lady Bears to 26-6. Mason County also avenged a 9-2 loss to Bracken County on March 19.
Both Bracken and Mason have put together excellent seasons, but the Lady Royals’ win carries extra significance as it pertains to region quarterfinal matchups. Bracken will have to face region favorite Harrison County (32-6) Monday afternoon, and that is indeed a tall order.
Getting back to the 39th final, Mason County scored a run in each of the first two innings, and that was all sophomore right-hander Olivia Hughes needed. She scattered four hits, did not issue a walk, and struck out five in her route-going performance, silencing the hard-hitting Lady Bears in the process.
Junior center fielder Kenzie Gulley scored both runs and collected a pair of hits while swiping a couple of bases to lead the Mason offense. Gulley leads the commonwealth in triples and ranks high in most offensive categories as well. Freshman Kylah Turner also had a pair of hits for the Lady Royals.
Bracken County senior Ella Johnson fanned 15 to give her 262 on the season, good for eighth in Kentucky. She’s 22-6 with a 2.22 earned run average in 161 innings pitched this season.
The tourney in Taylor Mill opens at 11 a.m. with Campbell County (15-9) meeting 8-23 George Rogers Clark, followed by
the Bracken-Harrison game at 1:30. Montgomery County (28-6) meets 11-20 Bishop Brossart at 4 p.m., with the Mason-Pendleton tussle scheduled for a 6:30 start.
The semifinals are scheduled for Tuesday at 5 and 7:30, with the title tilt slated for 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
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ROYALS FACE HUGE CHALLENGE IN 10th OPENER – The 10th Region baseball tournament commences Sunday at Bourbon County High School, in what should prove to be a wide-open affair.
The draw did not provide any favors to either 39th District representative, with Bracken County, the district champs slated to face the host school at 6 p.m., and the Mason County Royals set to face tourney favorite Harrison County at 3:30.
However, there is no prohibitive favorite in the event, with all eight teams having a shot a putting together a three-game winning streak and a tip to the state tournament.
As mentioned already, the defending champion Thorobreds (23-7) are considered a slight favorite, but the George Rogers Clark Cardinals are nearly neck-and-neck in the RPI rankings. GRC (26-11) will meet 17-18 Scott in the 1 p.m. opener prior to the Mason-Harrison matchup.
The 17-15 Royals, coached by Jason Butler, will be looking to avenge a 5-3 loss to the ‘Breds in Cynthiana on April 23.
An interesting factoid in regards to that particular game?
Mason County produced just four hits, but three of them were home runs, one each for Nathan Bisotti, Cray Fite and Cole Horch.
The Sunday evening session of the tourney in Paris will feature Bracken County, led by head coach Rob Krift, tangling with Bourbon County at 6 p.m., followed by the Campbell County-Nicholas County matchup at approximately 8:30.
(It should also be noted that the schedule may be altered significantly, due to the threat of stormy weather being predicted for Sunday.)
The game between the Polar Bears, who improved to 17-8 after their 6-4 triumph over Mason County in the 39th final, and the 20-8 Colonels, should be an intriguing one. The teams did not meet in the regular season and both teams are led by solid pitching staffs.
The 20-12 Camels are considered a favorite to advance with a win over the Bluejackets, a team they defeated 11-0 in five innings on April 30.
It’s anyone’s guess which teams will advance, and whether or not the games will be played at their scheduled times at this point. As of this moment, the semifinals are scheduled for Monday afternoon, beginning at 1:30, and the championship game is set to begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
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NCAA BASEBALL SELECTION SHOW – We’re in the middle of the Southeastern Conference baseball tournament as this is being written, and it remains anyone’s guess who will emerge with the championship trophy. There have already been several surprising results, and undoubtedly more will be forthcoming. The tourney in Hoover, Ala. Is always an entertaining event, but SEC pride is the only real thing on the line.
The 2024 NCAA Division I baseball tournament is what the top SEC teams are focused on, and the regionals are set to ensue on Friday, May 31 at 16 locations.
The University of Kentucky is expected to be hosting a regional, and we’ll find out for certain on Monday, when the selection show is televised on ESPN2 at noon.
The Bat Cats have put together an incredible season thus far, but what most will likely remember about the season is still yet to come. UK stood at 40-13 going into Friday afternoon’s game vs. South Carolina in the SEC tourney, which was played just after this missive was submitted. With a win over the Gamecocks and another in a semifinal against LSU, the Bat Cats would advance to Sunday’s championship game.
It would merely be icing on the cake for Kentucky to win the SEC tournament after achieving a tie for the regular season title with rival Tennessee. For a team that was predicted to finish fifth in the SEC East before the season, coach Nick Mingione and his squad have already accomplished great things.
There’s no doubt they’re looking for even more.
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REDS CONTINUE TO DISAPPOINT – We’ll talk more about how the Major League Baseball season is progressing next week, but at this juncture, the less said about my hometown team, the better.
The month of May has been absolutely brutal for the underachieving Redlegs, and at this point, it’s difficult to see the fortunes of the club getting much better any time soon. The
only positive is that there’s still a lot of baseball to be played… Oh wait, is that really a positive for this team?
If the putrid hitting and frequent strikeout trend continues, the Cincinnati Reds are looking at 90-plus losses this season. That is even more disheartening when you consider all of the optimism surrounding the team in the preseason.
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“Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it.” — Unknown
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In the interest of transparency and full disclosure, I found the following on the Internet this morning, and felt these points were worth sharing:
The title: “What not to do on Memorial Day”
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Don’t wish anyone a “Happy Memorial Day.” This is not Christmas – Memorial Day was not founded in joy with the promise of bringing glee each year. …
Don’t thank the current troops. … At least, don’t thank them just because it’s Memorial Day. They deserve respect and gratitude every day of the year, but this day is set aside specifically for America’s fallen warriors from every war.
Don’t disregard its importance. …
Don’t forget it exists. …
Don’t let politics keep you from rendering respect.
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