Final from NKU where NDA's Hayley Smith had a no-hitter for 6 2/3 innings until the Birds Brennah Dutcher (if that is spelled incorrectly blame my guy LB13) hit one past a diving SS.

 

NDA moves on to play Conner for the championship.

Final from NKU where NDA's Hayley Smith had a no-hitter for 6 2/3 innings until the Birds Brennah Dutcher (if that is spelled incorrectly blame my guy LB13) hit one past a diving SS.

 

NDA moves on to play Conner for the championship.

 

Haylee did great and HHS wasn't able to get anything going, Smith only had 1 K today but kept them off balance, in two games so far she has fielded 12 balls hit or bunted back to the pitcher. That is according to the official score keeper (Who just happens to be my daughter!)

Final from NKU where NDA's Hayley Smith had a no-hitter for 6 2/3 innings until the Birds Brennah Dutcher (if that is spelled incorrectly blame my guy LB13) hit one past a diving SS.

 

NDA moves on to play Conner for the championship.

 

You got her name perfect... Thanks Clyde and LB.

congrats to NDA on a well played game. Smith kept us off balance pretty much all game. At one point got five outs on five pitches. Nice job Haley. Next time take the snub you got from the coaches out on someone else please.

Also congrats to the Lady Birds on a great season. You have a lot to be proud of. Lets get busy this fall and put some finishing touches on a good start. Work hard this summer and come back with a chip on your shoulder. I'm proud to be just a little part of watching you grow into a great team.

Yes good job by HHS, they will be tough for years to come.

Whitney is awful small, but she can get tall in a hurry..

Great effort!

Hurt me to watch

Excellent job in the circle from Haylee Smith. Warning to Conner, don't hit it back to the circle. Talked to Coach Coffey earlier in the day , we both agreed that the "D" was crucial for a Birds victory, and a couple mental mistakes was all it took for the Pandas to take advantage.

 

Congrats to Coach Stephenson and the girls on the victory, been an awesome year for ND athletics. :thumb:

 

Also, GREAT JOB by Rob Coffey and his staff with this group of girls, they are only going to get better. :ylsuper:

Plenty of hard hitting plays tonight

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Whitney is awful small, but she can get tall in a hurry..

 

This "snag" saved at least 2 runs, if I recall correctly.

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That just isn't fair for the NDA player in pic 3, if I was her coach I would have had no problem with her just quickly taking a uturn into the dugout to avoid the catcher there!!

Congrats to Coach C and the Birds. Glad to see another team back in the mix.

You got her name perfect... Thanks Clyde and LB.

congrats to NDA on a well played game. Smith kept us off balance pretty much all game. At one point got five outs on five pitches. Nice job Haley. Next time take the snub you got from the coaches out on someone else please.

Also congrats to the Lady Birds on a great season. You have a lot to be proud of. Lets get busy this fall and put some finishing touches on a good start. Work hard this summer and come back with a chip on your shoulder. I'm proud to be just a little part of watching you grow into a great team.

 

She was just proving she was worth the trade & deserving of her award. But thank you, she doesn't tend to take it easy on anyone but if she was to, my money would be on HHS. Much respect for Coach Coffey & his girls! Great year & I'm sure much future success!

PER MARC HARDIN

 

The Notre Dame Academy Pandas head into rarely charted territory when they play Conner in today's 5:30 p.m. Ninth Region softball tournament championship game at Northern Kentucky University.

 

It's Notre Dame's first appearance in the final since 2000 and their third in program history.

 

For Pandas pitcher Haylee Smith, who beat Highlands with a one-hit 3-0 shutout in Thursday's second semifinal, it's become routine.

 

Smith, a 6-foot sophomore, lost what would have been her second no-hitter of the season with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning against the Bluebirds, but she happily traded it for her fourth consecutive appearance in the regional final.

 

Smith faces Conner in the final for the fourth year in a row, and will be the starting pitcher against the Cougars in that scenario for the third time after battling them as a member of the Ryle Raiders, winner of the past three regional crowns.

 

Smith, who transferred to Notre Dame before the start of the school year, pitched efficiently and struck out just one Highlands batter while letting Notre Dame's defense do its job.

 

"I wouldn't have been able to do anything today without the girls behind me," said Smith, who threw a perfect game during the regular season. "We played great defense today."

 

Smith won her 16th game in 18 decisions and Notre Dame extended its winning streak to 11 straight.

 

She sat down the Bluebirds in order in the third inning on three pitches, retired the side in order in the fourth with eight pitches, threw seven while getting three straight outs in the fifth, and needed eight pitches for a 1-2-3 sixth.

 

Highlands reached base on a catching error by the Pandas' first baseman in the second. Clean-up hitter Brennah Dutcher's ground ball under the shortstop's glove in the bottom of the seventh accounted for the lone Bluebirds' hit.

 

"That's the first ball our first baseman has dropped in two years," Pandas coach Joe Stephenson said. "Other than that, we made plays."

 

In between the two baserunners, Smith retired 15 in a row as Notre Dame, ranked No. 1 in the final Enquirer Northern Kentucky coaches' poll, improved to 27-7 overall and 21-0 against regional opponents.

 

Eighth-ranked Highlands finished 18-12. "We'll be back next year because we have no seniors on our team," said Bluebirds losing pitcher Bailey Spencer.

 

The Pandas are seeking their second regional title. They won it all in 1999. Smith will be in the pitching circle against Conner. Pandas catcher Laura Finke expects her battery mate to continue her dominance.

 

"Haylee's working off a bunch of different pitches and hitting her spots," Finke said. "We know it's been a long time (since the last regional championship) and we're ready to win it."

 

Smith gave Notre Dame all the runs it would need with an RBI single to left in the first. The Pandas scored on a fielder's choice in the third and added the final run in the fourth off one of Highlands' four errors.

 

 

Notre Dame 101 100 0 -- 3 6 1

Highlands....000 000 0 -- 0 1 4

 

WP: Smith (16-2). LP: Spencer. Leaders: N-Rose 2-3; Jones 2-4. Records: N 27-7, H 18-12.

PER MARC HARDIN

"That's the first ball our first baseman has dropped in two years," Pandas coach Joe Stephenson said. "Other than that, we made plays."

She darn near had it. Can't fault that effort at all.