By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
For the second consecutive spring, the Manchester Lady Greyhounds softball squad will boldly go where no MHS softball team had gone before, to the Division IV district championship game. The Lady Hounds earned that privilege on Wednesday afternoon as they came from behind to claim a 6-3 win over the Miller Lady Falcons in the district semi-finals.
Going scoreless in two straight at-bats hasn’t happened often to the Lady Hounds this season but it did on Wednesday as the Lady Falcons picked up a run in the top of the first and led 1-0 as Manchester came to bat in the bottom of the third. The Lady Hounds tied the game when a Rylie Young base hit scored Ashleigh Dunn with the tying run.
Manchester took the lead for good in their half of the fourth. With Abby Neria and Jaylise Applegate on base, lead off hitter and shortstop Jenna Campbell blasted a three-bagger to right, bringing both runners home and giving the #2 seeded Lady Hounds a 3-1 advantage.
Miller got one of those runs back in the top of the fifth off of Manchester starter Rylie Young, but the Lady Hounds answered with a three-spot in their half of the inning. Emilee Applegate led off the frame with a base hit and came all the way around to score on a triple to center by Kameyl Carter. The extra-base onslaught continued when Maggie Roberts doubled to center to score Carter and Roberts came across later on a Chloe Freeman base hit to give Manchester a 6-2 lead.
The Lady Falcons put up a single run in the top of the sixth to draw within three, but that was all for the Miller offense. In the top of the seventh, Young retired the Lady Falcons in 1-2-3- fashion, getting a ground out, strikeout and pop out to Carter at first to send the victorious Lady Hounds to the district title game.
Young went the distance in the center circle for the win, allowing seven hits and three earned runs and she was backed up by an 11-hit offense, with Kameyl Carter and Emilee Applegate each garnering two base knocks.
The Lady Hounds will b e back at Rio Grande University on Saturday, May 20 for the Division IV district championship, looking for the first district title in school softball history. Manchester will face Symmes Valley, a 4-3 winner over Lucasville Valley on Wednesday, a rematch of last year’s district semis where Manchester claimed a 3-1 victory. First pitch on Saturday is set for 2 p.m.