Highlands softball opens year with bang

Allen Ramsey Photo. Highlands sophomore Shelby Graybill smacks an inside-the-park home run in the Ladybirds' 17-3 win over St. Henry on Monday. Graybill went 3-for-3 with a home run, double, four runs batted in and two runs scored.

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

The Highlands Ladybirds softball team opened the season with an impressive 17-3 five-inning win Monday over the host St. Henry Lady Crusaders.

Highlands outhit St. Henry, 12-10.

Sophomore Bailey Spencer threw a complete game for Highlands. She struck out seven and walked just one.

Shelby Graybill went 3-for-3 with four runs batted in and two runs scored to lead Highlands. She had a home run and double.

Seventh-grader Rachel Gabbard and Ashley Grosser also had two hits each for Highlands. Grosser had a double and two runs batted in and Gabbard scored once and plated a run. Kendall Turner followed with a home run and three RBIs with Whitney Quillen tripling in two. Payton Leighty added two runs batted in for the Ladybirds.

Teresa Urban, Carlie Roark, Molly Dietz and Carlie Townsend had two hits each for the Lady Crusaders. Kramer took the pitching loss.

Highlands does not play again until Thursday. The Ladybirds face Newport Central Catholic on their new field at 6 p.m.

Baseball:

NC goes 1-2 over weekend:

The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds went 1-2 to start the year in the All-Catholic Tournament at Louisville Trinity.

NewCath opened the year with a 15-5 loss to Lexington Catholic. The Thoroughbreds came back and beat Bardstown Bethlehem, 11-5 before losing to Louisville St. Xavier, 10-0 in five innings.