By Ryan Davenport, WSON Sports Correspondent 

The Henderson County Lady Colonels faced off against the East Jessamine Lady Jaguars in the Semifinals of the KHSAA FastPitch Softball State Tournament in Lexington at John Cropp Stadium.

Lady Colonels sophomore pitcher Anna Kemp struck out 3 of the 4 batters she faced in the bottom of the 1st inning and she would strikeout the side in the bottom of the 2nd inning and in the bottom of the 3rd inning.

The Lady Jaguars would score on a 2 out RBI single by sophomore left fielder Alexandra Smith to give the Lady Jaguars a 1-0 lead heading into the top of the 7th inning. 

A 1 out triple by junior catcher Hallie McCracken would put the tying run in scoring position and then up to the plate freshman designated player Mackenzie Burczyk would hit an RBI single to tie the game at 1-1 and eventually lead to the game going to extra innings.

The Lady Colonels in the top of the 10th inning would get a 2 out RBI single by senior first baseman Kendal Hargrove to give the Lady Colonels a 2-1 lead. Later in the top of the 10th, junior catcher Hallie McCracken would get a 2 RBI single to extend the Lady Colonels lead 4-1 heading into the bottom of the 3rd inning. 

Anna Kemp would not allow another hit or run and the Lady Colonels would come away with a 4-1 win over the Lady Jaguars to advance to the Softball State Championship. The Lady Colonels improve to a (33-5) record on the season while the Lady Jaguars end their season with a (29-6) record. 

Junior catcher Hallie McCracken was 3 for 5 with a triple and 2 RBI’s while senior first baseman Kendal Hargrove was 2 for 5 with 1 RBI on the night.

 

Lady Colonels sophomore pitcher Anna Kemp pitched 10 innings while allowing only 3 hits and 1 runs while walking 6 batters and recording 21 strikeouts on the night. 

 

As a team, the Lady Colonels scored 4 runs and recorded 9 hits, 4 RBI’s, 1 triple, and 1 error on the night.

 

Lady Colonels sophomore pitcher Anna Kemp talked about her 21 strikeout win performance on the mound, “I’m so proud of my team. We came out here and pulled it out even when times were, at the top of the 7th there they just scored on us (and) it wasn’t looking so good. Hallie (McCracken) over here, she came out clutch, she went up there and wanted to win just like the rest of us and really just taking it one pitch at a time out there and giving everything (she) got in every pitch.”

Lady Colonels junior catcher Hallie McCracken talked about her big hits at the plate on the night, “I was just going up to the plate with the mentality that everything’s on the line right here, we have everything to lose right here, we’ve been working all season and I just wanted to make solid contact, hope to find a gap and it happened, found a gap and got us tied up.”

 

Henderson County Lady Colonels head coach Shannon Troutman talked about his team’s performance on his team’s 4-1 win in the Semifinals of the State Tournament and his pitcher Anna Kemp, “You know I’m so proud of Anna Kemp. I’ve said all year that she’s a bulldog and she wants the ball in high pressure situations and this game had 4 or 5 innings with just a lot of pressure on her but it’s not the first time she’s been in those situations and that’s what great about the schedule we’ve played this year is that she’s been in those situations several times and so I have all the faith in the world in her. Our hitting lineup, you know it’s the state tournament and you’re stressed a little bit and (East Jessamine Senior) Kayleigh White is a wonderful pitcher and throws hard and it was good for our girls to see that going into the state championship game. She’s the kind of pitcher you’re not going to dial up a whole lot of hits on and so is the next pitcher so we’re just going to have to make it work.”

 

The Lady Colonels will take on the 7th Region Champion, the Ballard Lady Bruins on Saturday afternoon, June 10th, at 2:00 P.M. in the Championship Game of the 2023 State Softball Tournament in Lexington at John Cropp Stadium.