By RICHIE HALL
Reporter Sports Editor
Tuesday’s Regional 4 softball game between Hamilton Southeastern and Kokomo at the Royals’ field was like a prize fight: Both teams were exchanging hits one after the other.
The Wildkats got a few blows in the top of the sixth inning before the Royals pulled themselves off the ropes and made a knockout punch in the bottom of the inning. Southeastern then breezed through the seventh to earn a 7-4 regional victory.
It’s the first regional title for the Royals since 2014, and qualifies them for the Harrison semi-state. Southeastern will play Homestead at 1 p.m. Saturday in the second semi-final.
The Royals struck first, with Jordan Rager hitting a two-run home run with one out in the first inning. In the third inning, Ashton Kiehl blasted a triple to score two more runs, giving HSE a 4-0 lead.
But Kokomo began making things interesting in the top of the fourth, hitting back-to-back homers to cut the lead to 4-2. Southeastern had to respond, and it did, with a two-run single by Nicole Dillow to push ahead 6-2.
“The two times they scored, we answered, and I love that,” said HSE coach David Cook. “I loved how hard we played tonight.”
The ‘Kats made one more run in the top of the sixth, when Lauryn Hicks hit a one-out solo homer, and Katelyn Dowden’s double scored another run to make it 6-4. Kokomo now had runners on second and third, with the go-ahead run at the plate.
But pitcher Alexis Macha stepped up big time, striking out the next two batters to end the inning. Southeastern then added one more run, a home run from Ahliza Moore, in the bottom of the sixth. Macha retired the side easily in the top of the seventh, striking out the first two, then inducing a flyout to center fielder Kaelin Wincek to finish the game.
Macha wound up with 10 strikeouts, and issued no walks.
“I thought Alexis responded great,” said Cook. “She gave up a couple big hits, and she responded, bounced right back.”
Abby Taylor and Nicole Dillow both had three hits, with one of Taylor’s hits a double. Rager and Libby Ratliff both had two hits for the game; Ratliff also had a double.
Southeastern 7, Kokomo 4
Southeastern AB R H RBI
Abby Taylor 4 1 3 0
Nicole Dillow 4 1 3 1
Jordan Rager 4 1 2 2
Danielle Planet 0 1 0 0
Libby Ratliff 4 1 2 0
Ashton Kiehl 3 0 1 2
Lilly Upchurch 0 0 0 0
Nicole Lang 3 0 0 0
Kaylee Carter 2 0 0 0
Kaelin Wincek 3 1 1 0
Ahliza Moore 2 1 1 1
Katelyn Shonborn 0 0 0 0
Shelby Berthold 0 0 0 0
Totals 29 7 13 6
Score by innings
Kokomo 000 202 0 – 4 8 2
Southeastern 202 201 x – 7 13 0
HR: Moore, Rager. 3B: Kiehl. 2B: Ratliff, Taylor. SAC: Shonborn, Carter.
HSE pitching IP R ER H
Alexis Macha 7 4 4 8
Strikeouts: Macha 10. Walks: none.
