Thursday, June 03, 1999
Notre Dame, Ryle make softball final
BY NEIL SCHMIDT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HEBRON — Jessica Birkenhauer has two pitching speeds: fast and faster. Wednesday afternoon, late for a date with a diploma, she found fifth gear.
The Notre Dame Academy senior — er, graduate, as of this reading — pitched the Pandas past Boone County 1-0 in a Ninth Region semifinal that lasted less than an hour. She and shortstop Chrissy Wilson then left RiverShore Park to speed to their commencement exercises 30 minutes later.
“I might have been hurrying today, but we tried to take it one at a time — softball, then graduation,” Birkenhauer said. “I knew we'd get there eventually.”
She spoke of graduation, but also could have meant the Ninth Region championship game. Notre Dame's appearance in the 4:30p.m. final today at RiverShore against Ryle, which beat Simon Kenton 8-4 in Wednesday's other semifinal, is the first in school history.
“This is exciting, especially for my seniors,” Pandas coach Mary Kay Parkey said. “Jessica has been so strong all year, and our defense has been great the last five or six games.”
Today's title game is a typical great-pitching-versus-great-hitting matchup. Ryle (17-7), which won the region in 1996 and '97, is peaking with a high-scoring attack, while Notre Dame (26-5) has a pitcher boasting an area-best 0.75 ERA and 267 strikeouts.
“Our bats are on fire,” Ryle junior Amber Brady said. “We think we can hit (Birkenhauer). It's just going to depend who wants it more.”
Notre Dame, the area's top-ranked team, beat Ryle 3-2 early in the season, but Ryle avenged that loss with a 1-0, eight-inning decision two weeks ago.
“They're one of the few teams who have hit Jessica pretty well,” Parkey said.
Boone (22-14) barely touched her Wednesday. Seventh-grader Becky Bishop's first-inning single was its only hit.
Birkenhauer struck out six and did not walk a batter, but she was nearly matched by Boone freshman pitcher Heather Lawrence, who struck out seven. The Pandas' lone run came on a third-inning home run by junior centerfielder Bridget Hummel.
“Even with a lead, you're never comfortable,” Hummel said. “But our whole team has been contributing on defense, and they did again today.”
The most notable plays were Megan McEvoy snaring a rocket at third base and Erin Nutini making a running, over-the-shoulder catch in deep right field.
“I knew it'd be a one-run game with Heather and Jessica pitching,” Boone coach Patti Oliverio said.
Notre Dame ....... 001 000 0—1 5 1
Boone County ....... 000 000 0—0 1 1
WP—Birkenhauer (6 Ks). LP—Lawrence. Hitting leaders: ND--Hummel HR; McEvoy 2-3. Records: Notre Dame 26-5, Boone County 22-14.
Simon Kenton ....... 101 200 0—4 7 1
Ryle ....... 251 000 x—8 7 1
WP—Alig (7 Ks). LP—Dougherty. Hitting leaders: R—Brady 2-4, 4 RBI; Boaz 3B, 2 RBI; Ashworth 2B; SK—Weber 2-4; Kijinski 2B. Records: Ryle 17-7, Simon Kenton 24-9.
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