WhatsBestForTheGirls

Earlier this month, Villa Madonna senior Brooke Meier announced her commitment to play softball at Mount Saint Joseph University. She will be attending MSJ on academic scholarship, pursuing the field of forensic science as a Biology major. Brooke had been recruited by Urbana, in addition to discussions with NAIA and other Division III coaches for both softball and soccer. Villa Madonna and Brooke utilized social media outlets to spread word of her accomplishment and final decision. Her ceremonial signing date will be announced by the Villa Athletic Department. Congrats Brooke!

Meier - Villa

With their 8-3 win over Dayton last night, the Blue Lightning advance to the 9th Region All "A" Finals against District rival St. Henry. Joslyn Thornberry (8th/RF) led the way offensively going 2 for 4 with an RBI and 2 runs scored. Brooke Meier (11th/P) also went 2 for 4 with 2 SBs and 3 Runs Scored. Anna Bosley (12th/2B), Anna Wagner (11th/C), Casey Fulton (9th/SS), Camdyn Meier (8th/CF) and Reagan Kuehne (10th/3B) each added one hit to the offensive parade. In the circle, Brooke went the distance scattering 5 hits while recording 6 strikeouts with some great defensive plays behind her, none bigger than the inning ending double play made by Bosley and Corrina Borchers (10th/1B) to shut down the scoring threat in the 6th. Villa jumps to a 5-0 start for their season.

The Blue Lightning continued their winning streak by beating Lloyd in the quarterfinals of the All "A" Classic with a score of 14-2. Camdyn Meier (8th/CF) went 2 for 3 with 2 doubles and 5 RBI. Corrina Borchers (10th/1B) chipped in a two run single totaling 3 RBI in the game. After Lloyd P Burrows cleared the fence for a 2 run homer, Villa P Brooke Meier (11th) settled-in to scatter 3 more hits over 5 innings while striking out 12 to record her 4th victory of the season. Villa plays Dayton in the semifinals on Wednesday night at NewCath's home field 7pm.

The Blue Lightning won their third straight game to open the year 3-0 by beating Newport 11-0 in 5 innings in the First Round of the All "A" Classic. At the plate, Casey Fulton (9th/SS) and Corrina Borchers (10th/1B) were both 2-2 on the day. Camdyn Meier (8th/CF) had 2 hits and 2 RBI while Anna Wagner (11th/C) also scored 2 Runs and had 2 RBI. In the circle, Brooke Meier (11th/P) tossed a shutout and her 5th career no-hitter, striking out 6 --- and was just one walk from a perfect game. Meier's performance on the mound came immediately following an amazing afternoon at Villa's Field Meet - she is competing in dual sports this spring. Brooke won the javelin throwing a new school record, won the Long Jump, placed in shot, was the girls Quad-athlon champ, and meet MVP. She could be seen running across Villa's campus into the dugout to quickly change her uniform from Track to Softball and begin warmups. Quite the feat in one day. Villa played Lloyd in the next round of the All-A. See separate post for that game.

Awesome coverage by James Weber of the Enquirer and Jeremy Rauch of Fox 19 highlighting the momentous shot for senior Madison Perry. After being sidelined with an ACL injury at the end of December, she needed 45 points to reach a career 1000. In late January, utilizing an extensive knee brace, Madison sporadically returned to the court to finish what she started as a 7th grader. The team implemented strategy specifically for the few minutes Madison entered a game to protect and allow a 3pt shot from her comfort zone. Madison finally reached 999 and was set before a home crowd to record that final point. She sinks a 3 on the first shot of the game versus Bellevue and the celebration erupts. It was a poignant moment for Madison's family, teammates, and coaches knowing what it took for her to get back on the court. See the video and article links for the incredible full story of one determined young lady! Watch: Basketball player doesn't let torn ACL keep her from hitting 1,

Villa Madonna fast-pitch softball player selected for team going to indoor tournament in Europe | NKyTribune

The Villa Madonna girls' soccer season reached the end on Monday night as they were eliminated from Districts in a 1-0 loss to St. Henry. Villa was in defensive mode for the majority of the game...a reflection of their overall season which consisted of several 1-0 losses or 0-0/1-1 ties. St. Henry was aggressive from the kickoff. An early goal was called back as the Villa keeper had possession on the ground when the ball was kicked out of her hands. Crusaders Grome, Kent (MacKenzie), Laudenslayer, Pope and Ives were smoking with their speed, footwork and power shots. They definitely made Villa goalie, Brooke Meier, earn her "keep", LOL. Meier had 17 saves in the first half, with the Villa defense following her lead by preventing St. Henry from converting several excellent passes and head shots. The second half brought even more pressure from St. Henry, who was determined to slip one in the net. With 26 minutes remaining, St. Henry's #24 MacKenzie Kent was able to split the Villa defenders to get the shot off and hit the bottom 90. It was a perfectly timed, well-placed shot as GK Meier was covering the angle at the front post, with Villa defenders Caitlin Riordan in position at the back post, and Alyssa Pickens in the center covering the cross-back. An excellent goal for the Crusaders that would prove to be a game decider! Congrats to Miss Kent for her outstanding contributions on the evening. Meier would accumulate another 15 saves in the second half, totalling 32 on the game. No other goal would be scored by either side. St. Henry goalie, Riegler, established her presence in the box early and again at the end of the game. She successfully deflected/saved a handful of shots that Villa was able to generate, causing momentary excitement in the stands for the Blue Lightning fans. However, for the most part, the Villa offense did not present themselves as much of a challenge for Riegler and her defenders. Congratulations to the Lady Crusaders (players and coaching staff) on their win and securing a spot in the District Finals Wed night. Their current record is 12-5-0 For the Blue Lightning of Villa, the game may not have ended as they hoped, but Kudos to the players and coaching staff for finishing 11-6-4, winning their 6th consecutive NKAC Division III Championship, and earning the ranking of 13th in the State in regular season team defense based on goals allowed per game. A heartfelt congrats and best wishes in future endeavors to the Senior players on the Villa squad who are graduating this coming May: Maddie Berberich, Maddie Malone, Maddie Schenthal and Sarah Surace. Best of luck to the St. Henry Crusaders, as they look to face Dixie in the District Finals Wed night.

Villa Madonna walked away with the W last night when senior forward, Sarah Surace, put a late second half goal in to take the lead. Villa scored first on a goal by senior Maddie Schenthal. Assists credited to senior Maddie Malone and sophomore Caitlin Riordan. Walton followed in the second half a few minutes after Schenthal's goal with a strategically placed one-on-one shot by breaking away from the Villa defenders. Lots of action again in front of the Villa keeper, junior Brooke Meier. Both Walton keepers did an exceptional job communicating to accelerate their strong punts. Thankfully, the Villa defense and keeper were able to hold Walton to just 1 goal as their forwards were on the constant attack, and they were fast. Villa's record is now 11-4-3

Brooke Meier - Junior, GK from Villa Madonna - has been nominated for Girls Soccer Player of the the Week. She had an outstanding showing against Dixie (see prior post) as well as 3 additional outings to conclude a great week of soccer for Villa. Brooke is the only NKY Girls Soccer Player nominated this week. Feel free to show your support for this young lady as she wages a voting war against several noteworthy OH high school players. Vote: Enquirer high school athlete of the week, Sept. 25

While I have fallen behind in game updates, I wanted to post a summary from Monday. If you did not have an opportunity to attend this District rival match-up, let me try to summarize the evening of thrills from the stands. To be blunt, 95% of the game was spent in front of the Villa defense. Junior keeper, Brooke Meier, was credited with 51 stops. She had several unbelievable saves that stunned the offense, refs, and everyone in attendance. Defenders Alysa Pickens and Maria Rice (both juniors), Neema Adley, Caitlin Riordan, and Kelsey Thomas (all sophomores) worked as a fluid unit through constant communication with Meier, making the goal impenetrable. The stellar performance by this Villa defensive squad established them as a critical force on the field throughout regulation and 2 OT's. Now, the Dixie offense was outstanding and persevered to the end. Their corners, cross-passing, and receipt of the lead ball is quite impressive. They kept speed and pressure on the Villa defenders all night long! The Dixie defense did everything they were supposed to do, although they were not extremely challenged during the game since the Villa offense never got close enough to take an actual shot on goal. It was an unfortunate off night for the Blue Lightning strikers/forwards. After remaining tied through regulation and both OT's, in the end, it came down to PKs. Unfortunately, Villa did not prevail and came up short. But make no mistake, Dixie keeper Lily Paganetto was superb in reading the kicker and committing. Meier, who was also slotted to be Villa's 5th kicker, put forth an incredible effort defending Dixie's PK's, but several of their shots were perfectly placed in the top corner. For this spectator, with the unique level of talent and passion that were present on the field from both teams, it was such an enjoyable game to watch, albeit a nail biter till the last PK! Congrats to Dixie who finished first during regular season District play, after defeating both St. Henry and Villa in a PK shoot-out. Although plagued with injuries since the first week of games, Villa has shown tremendous resilience and tenacity. Their current record is 9-4-3 with 9 shutouts to date. Junior keeper Brooke Meier has a goals allowed avg of 0.7. With a win over Dayton on Wednesday, Villa clinched their 6th consecutive NKAC Division III Championship. Congrats to the Blue Lightning for their continued growth and success on the field. As we approach the heart of the season, best of luck to ALL teams, and wishes for continued health and safety!

On Wednesday night, Villa Madonna played Conner at their stadium under the lights, ending in a 0 to 0 tie. Conner dominated offensive possession most of the game, with some incredible shots on goal. Villa played solid team defense, and keeper Brooke Meier was outstanding in goal with 19 saves. Villa returned to the field their entire defensive squad from last year, which set a school record for the most consecutive and overall shutouts in a season. Villa's record is 0-0-2.

Wow. You can tell I am out of practice posting this season. Meant to reply to you with this section: Hey LB, I believe you all play away tonight? Bummer - I wondered if you wanted to catch the Villa at Dayton game when B. Meier and BFF Grace Workman face each other. Always fun to play your friends from other schools...is that not one element of what makes HS athletics so amazing and memorable! Best of luck to the NCC Breds tonight.

Thanks LB13. I am honored to know that I was missed or at least my write-ups were. I was feeling extremely guilty for my neglect this season. You know I do my best to get Villa athletes some exposure. There were a few games that I wanted to submit but exhaustion got the better of me. For instance, both outings with Calvary this season came down to the final innings. Villa landed on top in the first game 5-3 and last night 3-2, but not without some amazing catches by the Calvary fielders, and pitcher Olivia Palasek who kept our offense guessing. Ultimately, it was the aggressive base running that I mentioned which put us in scoring position to seal the deal. Also worth noting, B. Meier in conjunction with Wagner has recorded several 1 and 2-hitters this season. They are both true students of the game, analyzing and discussing their opponent before each match-up. Anyone who knows these two athletes should not be surprised as that is how they approach basketball with access to Hudl and reviewing game films. Although we lost to Scott 1-10, it was C. Meiers first varsity outing during a very wet, rainy and soggy game. Obviously nervous, Wagner kept C. Meier calm and focused behind the plate, while B. Meier was seen at the mound between every inning providing encouragement, advice and instruction. C. Meier was controlled on the mound and showed her maturity. This was a positive for the Villa squad - eventually B. Meier will graduate and the Villa coaching staff has been working to groom C. Meier and Joslyn Thornberry (another 7th grader) to take over pitching duties in 3 years. Hey LB, I believe you all play away tonight? Bummer - I wondered if you wanted to catch the Villa at Dayton game when B. Meier and BFF Grace Workman face each other. Always fun to play your friends from other schools...is that not one element of what makes HS athletics so amazing and memorable! Best of luck to the NCC Breds tonight.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to find time to post any game summaries for Villa Madonna softball this season. While I missed these opportunities to share individual scores and accomplishments, I wanted to provide some level of season highlights for those that have not yet caught our girls in action on the field. Given how small the fastpitch program is, there are always new challenges for the Villa coaching staff to work through at the beginning of every season, and this year was no different. However, none of these factors have prevented them from working to establish competitive teams. After graduating 9 veteran players during the past 2 seasons, only 4 experienced starters remain in the lineup for Coach Meier: *Seasoned pitcher/Sophomore Brooke Meier who is in her 5th year on the mound; *3rd year catcher/Sophomore Anna Wagner who is also a 5th year starter (first 2 years as OF); *Junior 2B Anna Bosley in her 2nd year as a starter; *7th grader Camdyn Meier in 2nd year starting OF, but also filling roles at 1B and pitcher as needed - been a member of the team since 4th grade, and was grandfathered in before KHSAA grade level restrictions. The lone senior on this squad, Carol Dosker, has developed as a utility player throughout her three years, and now rotates time at 3B and outfield, depending on the needs of the team. The remainder of the roster and starting positions are filled by mostly 8th and 9th graders, many of whom have never played softball before…definitely not at a varsity, high school level. For anyone that observed a Villa game so far this season, there is no question Wagner and B. Meier have embraced their roles as captains, as witnessed by their sharing of game knowledge, leadership, and motivation of the younger and less experienced players. It takes determination, maturity, and composure to rally teammates and remain optimistic when you are recording 14Ks from the mound yet still losing majorly on unearned runs and errors. Not only is this battery a dominating force on the field, controlling the flow of the game from the mound, but both players are offensive leaders in the Villa lineup, with batting averages at or above .500 and OBP above .600. The term “Courtesy Runner” is not in their vocabulary as they set the Villa precedent for aggressive base running – Meier serving as leadoff currently has 27 SB, 6 Doubles and 2 HR. Wagner adds impact with her own contributions of 21 RBI, 22 SB and 4 Doubles. Junior 2B Bosley provides energy and flair as the third and final captain. You will find her inspiring the Villa dugout during offense to keep everyone engaged, involved and cheering, while batting cleanup and contributing 19 RBI herself. B. Meier is currently 8-7 with 129K’s and 1.33 ERA on the season. In mid-April she surpassed 500K’s for her career mark. The youngest Meier, Camdyn, made her varsity debut on the mound this season when a game injury resulted in B. Meier transitioning to SS for 2.5 games. During this time frame, Wagner moved out to 1B, giving 8th grader Casey Fulton varsity game experience behind the plate. B. Meier and Wagner continued to serve as field generals, demonstrating ability to mentor plus instill confidence in the younger players. With the completion of each game, this young Villa squad is defining improvement through repetition. There are less errors, more confidence, and obvious abilities in each player when they take the field. With two more seasons of HS softball, it will be exciting to watch the duo of Wagner and B. Meier continue to develop and excel as they hope to lead their Villa teammates to a higher level. Best of luck to all in these remaining few weeks of season. It is enjoyable to read about individual player potential and team successes from surrounding schools.

@Lawnboy13 @hoops5 @gameplayedright Just when I get excited for Villa and their players with positive feedback from individuals such as yourself, another poster proves me right with their negativity and reasons to dispute or challenge Villa's success - case and point from @sufside. First of all, please note, I began this thread with an overall congratulations to the ENTIRE Villa Madonna Academy Varsity Soccer Team, not just the defense. Now, I did highlight or focus some attention on the defense because the shut-out record and Top 20 Defensive Stat was attributable majorily to the defense. You won't find a goalie or full back leading in assists or goals, hence the terminology "defense" is going to apply to credit for shut-outs. There was never any disrespect displayed for any part of the team and you are out of line and off base for even indicating such. Congratulations was offered for all the Villa players and coaches several times in my post. Honestly, I am so tired of strength of schedule being thrown at any school - not just Villa, I have seen it for other schools in other forums. We have to play the teams in our Conference, end of story. Then there are classic rivalries with schools of similar dynamics that are scheduled. Each year, the Villa coaching staff schedules a few challenging stretch games to give the girls that tougher schedule element. FYI, one of our shut-outs was against St. Henry (after double OT we lost by one PK) who by no means is a "cupcake team"; oh yes, they also defeated Dixie in regular season. Personally, I find your reference to Villa playing "cupcake teams" insulting to us and our opponents - did you even bother to look at our actual schedule or just utilize the Maher rankings? I don't consider Scott, Calvary, Walton-Verona, Beechwood, or Montgomery Co. "cupcake teams"! Brossart and Boone were also scheduled but rained out. The Boone game being cancelled was a huge disappointment, especially right before Districts. However, I am not on the coaching staff and I will not use this forum to speculate or second guess the Athletic Department or Coaches as to how decisions are reached. Personally, I think ADs and Coaches are all underappreciated and definitely in private schools underpaid, so why Villa did not opt for the coin flip in order to play Boone versus playing Ludlow is none of my business. Monday was definitely not one of Villa's better showings overall, and as I said in response to "Mustang" it was a well-deserved victory on Dixie's part. But I do not believe that one post-season flat outing defines an entire season for a team, nor should it take away from any successes they earned, which is what appears to be indicated in @sufside reply. I appreciate @nkysoccerparent identifying some specific stats from Monday's game, supporting the backbone of my post, if you will, that the defense was constantly under attack Monday and did an exceptional job working together, specifically with the transition to turf. Really, between Villa, Dixie and St. Henry, based on their performance throughout the season (and I am not talking statistically, I mean what I witnessed skillwise during games) it could have been any of the 3 of them to take Districts. There was an obvious momentum from Dixie that Villa did not have. It appeared present again on Wednesday in the finals when they defeated St. Henry. I appreciate those of you who graciously took this post at face value, without looking to discredit every factual detail. As I said, having to constantly defend legitmate triumphs and successes, especially when it comes to being statistically ranked by KHSAA, is exhausting, but I don't mind if the girls get the recognition they deserve. Small school or not, they are still putting in the endless hours, dedication and effort for preseason and conditioning, as well as a rigorous practice and game schedule throughout the season. @Lawnboy13 - thank you for the kind words. I am not quite as polished or eloquent in my expressions as your postings, nor do I have the positive following that you have created, but I am working on it!

Yes, thanks "Mustang" for the update, Villa's season did end on Monday by a well-earned victory from the Dixie team, who then went on to win Districts defeating St. Henry 2-1. During regular season, we played Dixie in a fairly evenly matched game until a finely placed corner kick gave Dixie the ultimate lead and final score of 1-0. Villa had hopes of returning to the field in a similar matchup for Districts, but Dixe came out and dominated on the offensive front. What your simple update from perusing the KHSAA scoreboard failed to provide is the tremendous effort the Villa defense put forth the entire game, never giving up. As I said, Dixie was by all intense purposes the aggressor most of the game and the score could have been much higher had the Villa defenders and goalie not shut them down with some incredible saves. In fact, in the final minutes of the game the Villa goalie stopped a PK, showing the tenacity that has been present by this defensive squad all season. The original intent of this thread (with the exception of one other poster who offered very positive remarks) has been completely overlooked. As of last week, the Villa Girls were listed on the KHSAA Stat Leaders in the Top 20 Team Defense, as well as Assist Leaders (Maddie Berberich/18). 2

Not that there needs to be any explanation, honestly, but ever heard the saying "until you have walked a mile in another man's shoes...." The majority of Villa coaches are not teachers and have full-time day jobs, so sometimes there is a delay in the relay of information from Athletics to them. In addition, since Bluegrass Games the varsity head coach has been handling emergency health issues with a family member, which the Villa community has been rallying around with support and prayers. I guarantee that given the genuine integrity, commitment and generous heart of our coach, the late notice to Boone coaches and players was in no way meant disrespectful. In fact, until Wednesday afternoon the Villa JV team assumed they were still going to play Boone JV after Ludlow varsity. Instead of placing blame for an incidental situation that caused minor inconveniences, maybe the more polite thing to do is assume it was accidental and unintential and move on. The comments that generate from posts like this I find comical yet frustrating. In what started as a simple congratulations for an outstanding milestone for the Villa defensive line, ended with the thread hijacked to complain and speculate about a coach for short notification of a cancellation and then banter about reasons as to why Boone and Highlands have not played. No wonder more small schools do not post about their player and team accomplishments. It's not that we are not proud of our teams, we just know that a bigger dog will come in and downplay or refute whatever our team has accomplished, attempting to tarnish and discredit any achievement because we are a "small school"! I for one love reading about the personal and team successes from any school for any sport. So small, large, private, or public, I don't care, post away and share your athletic triumphs....I promise not to pass judgement and look forward to posting my praises!

Actually, the Villa coaching staff and players were quite disappointed to find out that the Boone game needed to be canceled last minute because their District seeding game versus Ludlow had to be played Wednesday per KHSAA guidelines. It was rained out earlier in the season and rescheduled for Thursday. In fact, what was supposed to be a Home game for Ludlow resulted in a Home game for Villa because of the last minute change, without any complaints from Ludlow who understood the necessity of getting the game played under deadline. Villa Boys Senior Night is Thursday, so the Villa field was out for a Home reschedule with Boone on Thursday - I assume the Boone boys are also playing at Home (quite honestly, I am too busy to check other teams schedules, but feel free to verify if it is that important to you). Friday was out for Villa because they have to play Calvary for a Conference deciding match-up (which was rained out during the Villa Girls Senior Night) and because they need to get this game in, Villa has agreed to an Away game due to field conflicts on Friday. Saturday, Villa is hosting an all day Frosh/JV tournament. I believe you can see the Villa coaches were out of options for a reschedule with Boone, but by NO means was it to avoid playing them because of setting records. In fact, most of the girls were not even aware of breaking the record until AFTER the game, as the coaches refrained from mentioning it. Let me make it clear, the girls had already established the consecutive shut-out record on Monday, they just added one more to that streak last night. What they established in Wednesday's game was a new record for shut-outs in a season. Playing Boone Wednesday might have stopped the consecutive streak but they were scheduled to play Ludlow on Thursday and could have resulted in the same outcome as Wednesday's game just one day later! What I failed to mention in my original post in an attempt to keep things brief is that this Villa team consists of only 2 Seniors after graduating 9 last year. In addition, the Defense utilizes a Sophomore Goalie, with 1 Junior Full Back and an all Frosh/Soph Defensive Line. So, they are on the field together for the next two years! Their intense level of play this year given how young they are warrants a kudos for setting the school shut-out record. It is absolutely a team effort and their understanding of working together with a positive attitude is why they were able to reach this milestone. I want to also comment that the Ludlow goalie played an EXCEPTIONAL game. She accounted for some incredible saves and prevented many Villa goals, stifling our offense. It was not until the second half that Villa was able to put one much less two by her. Well done for a first year goalie, enjoying her Senior year as I understand it.

Congratulations to the Villa varsity soccer team in setting a new school record for consecutive shut-outs, recording their 9th after tonight's 2-0 victory over Ludlow. They also now hold an additional school record for most shut-outs in a season with 11. Currently at 10-3-3, the defense has posted an impressive 0.75 (0.8) cumulative average goals allowed per game. The Blue Lightning take on Calvary Friday for their final regular season game, then head to Districts at Dixie next week.

He is one of many St. Catharine athletes transferring to Midway University, which in February announced plans to transition to a co-ed college, just weeks before St. Caths announced its plans for closing. Midway's timeframe for accommodating male students was expedited after acquiring the St. Caths men's teams to account for housing arrangements with a newly established co-ed campus. ...Athletes at the soon-to-close St. Catharine College in Springfield have found a new home: Midway University announced that it has signed agreements with three St. Catharine coaches to bring men’s basketball, soccer and baseball to campus this fall. Midway, another very small private school, recently announced that it would accept men as full-time undergraduate students for the first time in its 165-year history as Kentucky’s only women’s college. “We are pleased to bring these coaches and their team members into our Eagles Athletics family,” said Rusty Kennedy, Midway University athletics director. “We are hopeful that many of their existing student-athletes will transfer to Midway to continue playing together as a team. In addition to St. Catharine athletes, there will now be an opportunity for other male students to look at our athletics offerings and begin discussions with our coaches about our program.” Midway will also add men’s golf to the current lineup of women’s teams, including archery, basketball, cross-country, softball, soccer, tennis, volleyball and equestrian. St. Catharine College annnounced last week that it would close at the end of July because of enrollment and financial problems. The coaches hired to bring these athletics programs to Midway University are: Joe Krupinski, men’s basketball; Tim Wolz, men’s soccer; and Luther Bramblett, baseball. Otis Smith, Midway University’s current female golf team coach will oversee the men’s golf team. Midway is one of the official “teach-out” campuses for St. Catharine students, which means they can easily transfer there. Admission application fees are waived, the residency requirement or the minimum number of credits that must be taken at Midway University will be waived, and earned credits from accredited institutions (inclusive of those credits awarded by St. Catharine College) will be accepted. This allows upper level students to graduate on time. Midway University competes in the River States Conference (formerly the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference). “We will be able to incorporate basketball, soccer and golf into our normal operations with the facilities we have or already use; for baseball we will be playing at an off campus facility the first year,” said Kennedy... Read more here: Coaches at closing St. Catharine College to move to Midway | Lexington Herald-Leader

Alexa Meier...Villa...Midway University (softball and soccer)

Ironically, the original and genuine intent of this thread was to highlight the positive nature in which Brooke Meier approached the field and mound for the first time in two years without best friend and batterymate Anna Wagner, who was injured this week and is sidelined for 10 days. With no JV program and a very small roster, the Villa bench is not exactly overflowing with back-up catchers! When sophomore Anna Bosley stepped up to temporarily fill the role, and she and Meier connected for a perfect game in their first outing, it definitely seemed noteworthy. However, I did not assume it would generate criticisms or questions with comments to defend Villa's strength of schedule or validate the abilities of Meier. Realistically, Meier's numbers and stats speak plenty on her behalf to legitimize the accolades received from several BGP's posters for this perfect game (your comments and support of Villa were greatly appreciated). She is a freshman in her 4th year as starting varsity pitcher for Villa. And just like every other HS pitcher in NKY, along with outstanding performances there are days when she struggles. Now, for those of you curious about her line against specific competition: IP R ER H SO Dixie 6 10 5 8 2 St. Henry 4 16 10 14 4 Lloyd 8 5 2 6 10 Versus Dixie - Meier's pitching was consistent, not dominating but controlled - a few untimely fielding errors allowed runners extra-bases, ultimately scoring. Versus St. Henry - the game was suspended in the 2nd inning due to weather with St. Henry leading 3-1; Meier was pitching strong in the first outing but when the game resumed the following Monday, hits seemed to be contagious for an extremely talented St. Henry team -- a vital lessons learned by the young Villa defense is that you cannot give an already powerful offense extra outs. Versus Lloyd - Meier threw a very tactical game and left everything she had on the mound during the 8 inning loss; honestly, the game could have gone either way as both teams had chances to win in the final innings. As far as Villa's strength of schedule -- Every year they have to play the following: District seeding games against Dixie, St. Henry, Lloyd and Ludlow; Conference Games (Home & Away) against Heritage, Calvary, Ludlow, Dayton, Bellevue, Cov Latin and Silver Grove (if they field a team); Games scheduled because of established relationships with Athletic Departments including boys/girls soccer, basketball & baseball/softball are Maysville St. Pats, Robertson Co & Augusta (usually Home & Away). From there the remaining opponents depend on team availability and scheduling limitations. This year Beechwood, Campbell Co, Cooper, Pendleton Co, Gallatin Co and Holy Cross are in the mix. Coach Meier has a great rapport with the majority of the high school coaches and strives to challenge the Villa girls by providing competition each season that pushes their skills. As Lawnboy stated, the Villa roster is comprised of very young players, some of whom have never played fastpitch before. However, they also have some exceptional athletes with a true passion for the game. One has to respect how Coach Meier is able to find a balance between the varying skills and ages of his starting players (12-18 years old) and establish a team connection so that they are not only able to remain competitive but focus on individual victories. On behalf of the small schools who may not dominate the Region or be included in Coaches Top 10 Polls -- they still have exceptional athletes reaching milestones worthy of complimentary postings, regardless of opinions on strength of schedule or competitiveness of opponents. I am about to provide via separate thread a game update from Villa versus Beechwood, which was an exciting outing. I certainly hope that no one feels the need to challenge or question any of the accomplishments of these players on the field today. Best of luck to all teams in the remaining weeks as you head into post-season.

Thanks for your input. However, to paraphrase a sports writer who has interviewed Miss Meier previously, a perfect game is a perfect game no matter how many innings or who the opponent is! There is plenty of room for walks or errors during those innings. To give you an overall picture, Meier has 103K's on the season in 67 innings pitched, and that includes games against extremely competitive opponents from the 9th Region.

Villa traveled to Augusta yesterday and got back on the winning side with a convincing 4 inning 17-0 victory. Leading the offense was freshman pitcher Brooke Meier who was 4 for 4, 2 HR, 1 2B, 4 Runs Scored and 5 RBI. Following her with a perfect day at the plate was sophomore Anna Bosley going 3 for 3, 1 2B, and 4 Runs Scored and freshman outfielder Anna Eisner who was 2 for 2. Congratulations to 7th grade outfielder Lizzie Thomas who recorded her first varsity hit. :clap: What makes this outing and win so impressive is that the team had to rally without starting freshman catcher Anna Wagner who was injured earlier in the week. Sophomore second baseman, Anna Bosley, stepped up and made her varsity debut behind the plate. Meier and Bosley worked and communicated well together showing true leadership, providing the connection necessary to give Meier the momentum for her 2nd perfect game of the season, throwing 9Ks on the day. Carol Dosker (Jr/3B) and Sarah Surace (Soph/RF) made outstanding defensive plays to record the final two outs and preserve the no-hitter, and ultimate perfect game. With this win, the girls even up their record at 6 wins and 6 losses.