MOUNT WASHINGTON – The 2024 softball season had been a good one for the Bullitt East Lady Chargers for the most part. However, the team hit a bump in the road on Thursday as they dropped a 9-5 decision to arch-rival Mercy in a battle between the top two teams in the Sixth Region.
Bullitt East came into the showdown game with four straight wins, including a victory over defending state champion Ballard. But, just as they had done in the championship game of last season’s 24th District Tournament, Mercy belted three home runs, including a grand slam in the fourth inning, to propel them to the win.
Mercy, a team with just a .500 record this season, had lost its two previous games of the week, giving up 23 runs combined to North Bullitt and Assumption.
Bullitt East scored single runs in each of the first two innings to jump out to the lead. Mercy responded with three runs in the third and then got a grand slam in the fourth inning to take the lead for good. The Lady Chargers pulled within 7-5 with three runs in the fourth, but could get no closer. Mercy had another home run in the seventh to score twice and account for the final score.
Bullitt East head coach Bruce Pierce sent sophomore Mollie Johnston to the circle to start this game. The first two innings were no problem, but then Johnston ran into trouble in both the third and fourth innings. Johnston was responsible for all seven runs in those two innings as she gave up seven hits, including two home runs. All seven of those runs were earned.
In the district final last season, Pierce had started Mackenzie Mingus and the Lady Chargers had an early lead before home runs caught up with Mingus and Johnston came in to get the last four outs.
This time, Pierce, who had three strong pitching options, elected to save Mingus for perhaps another meeting against the Jaguars later this season. Instead, he inserted 8th-grader Rylee Waltrous and she worked 3.1 innings, giving up two hits with only one of two runs being earned.
Mingus had pitched three days earlier along with Waltrous in a 3-2 win over Holy Cross.
Bullitt East had the 10 hits in this game. That total included a pair of doubles by junior shortstop Courtney Bass and one by sophomore Kaitlyn McDonald. The Lady Chargers got two hits each from Bass, Alivia Cooper, Johnston and McDonald. Bass and Johnston each drove in two runs.
The Lady Chargers started the week on Monday with a 3-2 win in extra innings over Sixth Region rival Holy Cross. Bullitt East scored twice in the top of the eighth inning to go up 3-1 and then had to hold off the Lady Cougars in the bottom of the final frame, getting a double play to end the game.
Bullitt East had nine hits in this game, but the only extra base hit was a home run by Bass in the first inning. Bass and Johnston then hit sacrifice flies to account for the two runs in the eighth inning. Bass finished with three hits in the game while Emma Thompson had two.
Mingus got the start for the Lady Chargers and worked one out into the fourth inning. Waltrous came on and got the win, working the last 4.2 innings with both runs being earned.
The next day, Bullitt East ran its winning streak to four games with a 5-3 win over Seventh Region foe Manual. The Lady Chargers were up 5-0 before Manual scored three times in the top of the seventh.
Waltrous was the starter for the red and gold in this game and gave up two hits over three innings. Johnston came in and worked the last four innings and was responsible for all three runs in the seventh inning.
Bullitt East had eight hits in this game including another home run by Bass. The red and gold also had doubles by Waltrous and Cooper. Bass was the only Lady Charger with two hits and she drove in two of the runs.
The Lady Chargers will not play late this week because of the Derby. The team’s final game of the week will be a home match on Thursday against Male at 6 p.m. Next Wednesday, Bullitt East will be at home to play a very good Assumption team at 6 p.m.
Bullitt East started action this week with a 14-5 record.
