The 2022 Manchester Lady Greyhounds- Southeast District Division IV District Runners-Up. (Photo by Paul Boggs, Portsmouth Daily Times)

The 2022 Manchester Lady Greyhounds- Southeast District Division IV District Runners-Up. (Photo by Paul Boggs, Portsmouth Daily Times)

By Mark Carpenter

People’s Defender

The longest tournament run in the history of Manchester High School softball came to a disappointing end on Saturday, may 21 on the field at Rio Grande University. After winning a Division IV sectional championship and then knocking off Symmes Valley in the district semi-final, the Lady Hounds matched up on Saturday with the #7 ranked team in the state in the Portsmouth Notre Dame Lady Titans. The outcome didn’t go the way that the Manchester faithful hoped as the Lady Titans took an early lead and blanked the Lady Hounds 7-0 to capture their third consecutive district title.

It was a “nothing to be ashamed of” moment for first-year head coach Matthias Applegate and his Lady Hounds as they battled the Lady Titans, ending their season with an overall record of 16-6 and a bright future ahead.

The Lady Titans were coming off a 7-2 win over Peebles in the district semis and started the scoring early, getting one in the bottom of the first off of Manchester starter Emilee Applegate for the quick advantage. In the top of the second, the Lady Hounds got a lead off double from Rylie Young but she was left stranded as the next three hitters went down swinging.

Notre Dame added one more in the bottom of the second and had the bases full but Applegate worked out of the jam. Manchester got a one-out infield hit by Hannah Hobbs in the top of the third, but she was also left stranded. The Lady Titans added another in their half of the third to take a 3-0 lead.

The fourth inning was scoreless on both sides before the formidable Notre Dame offense put the game away in the bottom half of the fifth, scoring three times to extend their lead to six and then added one more off of reliever Rylie Young in the sixth.The Lady Hounds went down in order in the top of the seventh, Ashleigh Dunn lining out to second, Jaylise Applegate popping out to third and pinch hitter Madison Dunn striking out looking for the final out.

In 2023, the Lady Hounds will have to replace their graduating shortstop and lead off hitter Hannah Hobbs and her .378 batting average with 5 home runs, but will return a power core of Emilee Applegate, Kameyl Carter and Rylie Young, who combined for 11 home runs this spring’ along with some other talented underclassmen, The 2023 Manchester squad will likely be a favorite in the Southern Hills Athletic Conference and to be back in district play if not more.

BOX SCORE

Manchester

000 000 0 —0

Notre Dame

111 031 x —7

Manchester Hitting (AB-R-H-RBI): Hobbs 3-0-1-0, Campbell 3-0-1-0, E. Applegate 2-0-0-0, Carter 3-0-0-0, Young 2-0-1-0, Roberts 3-0-0-0, A. Dunn 3-0-0-0, J. Applegate 3-0-0-0, Freeman 2-0-0-0, M. dunn 1-0-0-0, Team 25-0-3-0.

Extra-Base Hits: Young 2B

Notre Dame Hitting (AB-R-H-RBI): Dettwiller 1-2-1-0, Hicks 3-0-0-1, Ford 4-0-2-0, Sparks 4-1-1-1, Kelly 3-1-1-0, Strickland 3-1-1-1, Brown 3-0-0-0, McPheters 1-0-0-0, Darden 2-0-1-1, Entler 2-1-1-0, Ashley 0-0-0-0, Team 26-7-8-4.

Extra-Base Hits: Kelly 2B, Sparks 2B, Dettwiller 3B

Manchester Pitching:

E. Applegate (L) 2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Young 4 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K

Notre Dame Pitching:

Sparks (W) 7 IP, 3 H. 0 R, 2 BB, 14 K