Livingston Central goes back-to-back at the All-A State Softball Tourney

The Livingston Central Lady Cardinals have gone back-to-back and claimed a second straight All-A State Softball Championship.

Livingston Central went to Owensboro for the third straight year representing the 2nd Region. After flying somewhat under the radar a year ago, this time, all eyes were on the Lady Cardinals from the time they stepped off the bus. A talented and focused group, Coach Matt Hargrove's squad was very business-like in their approach and they went to work.

The Lady Cards were unbelievably strong over the six games and two days in Owensboro. Livingston Central's bats were alive during the tournament scattering 67 hits and scoring 73 runs. The only two runs given up by the defending champs were in the first inning of their title defense in the first game against Whitefield Academy, a game they went on to win 17-2. A pair of one-hit shutouts followed as Livingston beat Trimble County 15-0 and Covington Holy Cross 13-0. The three wins put the Lady Cardinals atop their pool and put them on the winner's side of the bracket for Sunday. 

In the quarterfinals against Bethlehem, back-to-back base hits from sophomore Neveah Jennings and senior Victoria Joiner in the sixth inning set the table for an RBI double from Addison Tramble to score Jennings. A walk drawn by junior Hadley Hargrove loaded the bases. Senior Emersyn Ramage stepped up and hit a double to score Joiner and Tramble making the score 8-0. Then sophomore Irelynn Burns reached on an error as the throw to first got away. Meanwhile, Ramage scored and a second errant throw allowed Burns to come all the way around from second to slide under the tag at the plate to score the 10th run in walk-off fashion.

In the semifinals, Livingston Central chipped away at Whitesville Trinity scoring single runs in the first, third, fourth, and fifth innings before posting two in the sixth. Freshman Addalyn King got hit by a pitch to lead things off. A sacrifice bunt from Jennings moved King to second. King got to third by tagging up on the ground out from Joiner. Tramble singled King home to make it 5-0. An RBI double by Hargrove brought Tramble home to make it 6-0. Whitesville tried to rally in the bottom half of the sixth drawing a couple of walks, but Livingston picked off a runner at 3rd base and got the pitcher to pop up to end the inning. Tramble got a couple of strikeouts in the final frame and a flyout to Jennings in center field sealed the win.

Livingston Central then had to face a somewhat familiar foe in Ballard Memorial for the championship. The Lady Cardinals got two runs on the board in the first as Joiner ran herself out of rundown and took home plate to score the first run. Ramage picked up an RBI on a sacrifice as Tramble scored. After a third run scored in the third, Ballard Memorial pulled starting pitcher Maddie Bohde and the Lady Cardinals exploded for six more runs to make it 9-0. Then in the bottom of the fourth, freshman Chloe Doyle led off with a single and stole second base. Doyle scored on the RBI double from another freshman Angelina Thorn. King singled and stole a base. Then Thorn crossed the plate when Jennings reached. Joiner was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Tramble hit one high over the head of the right fielder and King scored the 12th run on the walk-off single, giving Livingston Central the second All-A title in a row.

Lady Cardinal pitching led by Tramble, an 8th grader and now two-time All-A Tournament MVP, only allowed six hits and two runs throughout the weekend, striking out 51 batters in the process. Tramble struck out 48 batters in those six games and had 10 hits to help out her cause.  Joining Tramble on the All-Tournament Team were Joiner, Ramage, Hargrove, and Doyle.

Even with claiming a second straight state championship and third overall, the season is not over for Livingston Central. The Lady Cards resume regular season play on Tuesday hosting Union County before another district showdown with Crittenden County at home on Thursday. Ten games remain on the schedule before the Fifth District Tournament at Lyon County. 

For Ballard Memorial, Bohde, Serenity Owens, and Miley Nichols made the All-Tournament Team from a squad that only graduates one senior. 

The two championship contenders are scheduled to face off again in Smithland on Monday, May 5th.  

All the Livingston Central Lady Cardinal Softball games can be heard on 96.3 WDXR.