OWENSBORO — Just when it seemed that Warren East would soon be packing its bags and heading back to Bowling Green, everything changed.
Facing a 3-0, fifth-inning deficit to Butler in the final game of the consolation bracket in the Owensboro Health/KHSAA State Softball Tournament, the Lady Raiders completely turned things around.
WEHS unloaded for nine runs on 10 hits in the bottom of the fifth to climb out on a hole and earn a 9-5, comeback win to advance to the state championship game and extend its stay in Owensboro.
The Lady Raiders (33-5) will meet Scott County — the state’s top ranked team according to the final coaches poll of the season — in the title match Saturday evening at Jack C. Fisher Park.
Should Warren East beat the Lady Cardinals, the two sides will have to play a second championship game to determine the winner. Should Warren East lose, it’ll finish as the state runner-up.
Trailing by three runs, Warren East didn’t panic.
Powered by a three-run home run from Jeyda Bays, the Lady Raiders scored nine unanswered runs in the fifth to put Butler away for good and record a dominating comeback victory.
Warren East and Scott County met at 9 a.m. Saturday, as the Lady Cardinals escaped with a 2-1 win in a 13-inning thriller.
BHS – 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 – 5 9 0
WEHS – 0 0 0 0 9 0 x – 9 13 6
WP: Gardner. LP: Werner.
–Senior writer Tyler Mansfield can be reached at mansfield.sportingtimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @TMansfieldST.–
