Brooke Gray, triple play save Ballard’s perfect season, first state softball championship

LEXINGTON — State runner-up in 2005 and again in 2011, Ballard High School softball coach Alan Jones knows all too well the good fortune it takes to win a championship.

On Sunday, the “softball gods” smiled kindly on the Bruins’ cardinal and white.

Behind the powerful left arm of pitcher Brooke Gray and a game-changing triple play turned in the bottom of the sixth inning, Ballard beat Lexington Catholic 3-2 in the final of the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop State Tournament in front of 1,889 fans at the University of Kentucky’s John Cropp Stadium.

“We never had the luck in the past,” said Jones, in his 23rd season as Ballard’s head coach. “We finally got the luck today.”

No. 1-ranked Ballard completed a 39-0 season and became just the third undefeated state softball champion in Kentucky history, joining Greenwood (44-0 in 2013) and Male (39-0 in 2019).

Previous coverage: Ballard whips South Warren to move into state final 

Ballard also became the third straight Jefferson County Public Schools team to win the state crown, joining Male (2019) and Butler (2021). The 2020 season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“You go 39-0, it’s not a fluke,” Jones said. “I’m glad they finished it.”

They finished thanks in part to a triple play they’ll be talking about on Brownsboro Road for years to come.

Emily Lammers’ RBI single had pulled the No. 10-ranked Knights (30-7) within 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning and brought Ava Emmert to the plate with runners at first and second and no outs.

Emmert lined to Ballard second baseman Imari Golden, who made the catch for the first out. Golden threw to first baseman Macy McCoy to get Lammers for the second out. McCoy threw to shortstop Mikayla Milby at second to force Lucy Nash for the third out.

A 4-3-6 triple play.

“It all happened in slow motion,” Gray said. “In my eyes, I was like, ‘Macy, throw the ball! Throw the ball!’ I felt like it took her 10 years to throw the ball. But she threw it, and she got her out. It was amazing.”

Story continues

Added Golden: “We just all know that we have to be ready every play, every pitch.”

Lexington Catholic coach Emery Emmert said Ava Emmert, his daughter, executed her at-bat to perfection.

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“We’re asking her to angle the ball down to the right side, and she does that as well as you can do it,” Emery Emmert said. “Just a smoke shot. It’s just one of those things. … You watch this game enough, you see all kinds of crazy stuff.”

Ballard took a 2-0 lead in the first inning against LexCath freshman Abby Hammond (30-6), who was named the Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year earlier this week.

Ballard celebrates winning the KHSAA Softball State Championship in Lexington.June 12, 2022

Emory Donaldson led off with a single, stole second and came home on Milby’s RBI single. Milby scored on a throwing error for a 2-0 lead.

Golden’s RBI single gave Ballard a 3-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning before the triple play in the bottom half.

Gray (31-0) retired the Knights 1-2-3 in the seventh, striking out Lydia Kennedy for the final out and sparking a wild celebration.

Gray was strong in the circle, allowing four hits and two runs while striking out seven. She finished 4-0 with an 0.56 ERA in the state tournament, striking out 40 batters in 25 innings and earning MVP honors.

“Brooke’s the best pitcher in the state, by far,” Jones said. “If I was a Division I college coach, I’d be offering her (a scholarship) right now.”

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With just one senior on the team — catcher Alyssa Simmons — Jones already was looking ahead to next season.

Greenwood (2007-08) is the last team to win back-to-back state titles. But after Sunday’s triple play, it’s hard to blame Jones for believing anything is possible.

“It didn’t look good, and then that triple play was just unbelievable,” he said. “But when you have luck on your side and you have faith, you have to believe. I’ve believed in this team all year. Here we are: 39-0 and state champions.”

Ballard’s Brooke Gray and Alyssa Simmons celebrate the Bruins winning the KHSAA Softball State Championship in Lexington.June 12, 2022

BALLARD                          200   001   0 –   3   7   0

LEXINGTON CATHOLIC   000   011   0 –   2   4   2

WP – Brooke Gray (31-0). LP – Abby Hammond (30-6).

MVP – Brooke Gray (Ballard).

All-tournament team – Imari Golden, Macy McCoy (Ballard); Ava Emmert, Abby Hammond, Lucy Nash (Lexington Catholic); Elly Bennett, Carrie Enlow (South Warren); Zoe Smithson, Ariel Fox (McCracken County); Jessie Daniels (Daviess County); Kaytlan Kemp (Henderson County); Jillian Jeffries (Holy Cross); Isabella Persinger (Harrison County).

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @kyhighs.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KHSAA state softball: Triple play saves Ballard’s season, state title