AKRON — The tears streaming down Makaree Chapman’s cheeks had little to do with what had just transpired on the super-heated artificial surface at Firestone Stadium.
Chapman and her Lexington teammates pushed top-ranked Kenton Ridge to the precipice in a Division IV state semifinal game only to see the top-ranked Cougars scratch out two runs in the bottom of the seventh for a walk-off, 4-3 win.
The emotions Chapman was sorting through during the postgame press conference were bigger than one game. She thought about her transfer to Lexington from Ashland before the start of her junior year and how the community welcomed her with open arms.
She thought about the friendships she forged with her new coaches and teammates.
Lexington doesn’t realize how much it truly means to me.
Makaree Chapman
“When I moved in, they welcomed me like I was meant to be there,” said Chapman, a Northern Kentucky recruit. “I couldn’t thank anybody more than the Lexington community and everybody who has loved me and pushed me and shown me how much the community really cares for its teams.
“Lexington doesn’t realize how much it truly means to me.”
A large contingent of Purple and Gold-clad fans made their way to the Rubber City on Wednesday morning hoping Lady Lex could shock the world. And for six-and-a-half innings, it looked like they would.
Lexington (24-4) took a 3-2 lead to the bottom of the seventh as Chapman stifled a team that scored 414 runs during the season and outscored its five tournament opponents by a combined score of 83-3.
Designated player and No. 7 hitter Kyanne Tyson started the seventh-inning rally for Kenton Ridge (31-0) with a leadoff single to right. Jordyn Johnson pinch-ran for Tyson and scored the game-tying run on Chloe Glass’s triple to right-center. That turned it over to the top of the Kenton Ridge order, where the dangerous Lily Foulk and Ohio University recruit Brenna Fyffe awaited.
Lex coach Todd Galownia ordered Chapman to intentionally walk both Foulk and Fyffe to set up a force at any base. Chapman fell behind No. 3 hitter Jayden Davis 3-1 before the sophomore slugger belted the game-winner to the base of the wall in right-center.
“These kids never gave up. They believed in themselves,” Kenton Ridge coach Sarah Schalnat said. “We got up in the seventh and we had seven, eight, nine up. I talked about it all year, there is no down spot in our batting order.”
Tyson struck out and popped out on the infield in her first two at-bats before igniting the game-winning rally.
“I went up there saying I needed to do this for my team,” Tyson said. “I had been struggling, but I know what I needed to do and figured it out.”
Davis drove in Kenton Ridge’s first two runs in the bottom of the third with a single to center after an epic eight-pitch at bat. She relished the opportunity to knock in the game-winner in the seventh.
“She pithed me three balls and I knew she was going to throw one right down the middle,” Davis said. “Once I got that strike I was like, ‘It’s go time.’ ”
Trailing 2-0 after three, Lex went to work in the fourth. Chapman led off with a wind-aided opposite-field triple over the left fielder’s head and scored on Addy Williams’ RBI groundout.
Lexington tied it in the fifth when Quinn Patrick reached on an error and moved up on Alexis Cantrell’s sacrifice. That brought Chapman to the plate with first base open, but Schalnat elected to have pitcher freshman pitcher Ivee Rastatter pitch to Lex’s leading hitter.
Rastatter fell behind 2-0 before Chapman yanked a fastball over the right fielder’s head for her second triple in as many innings, plating Patrick.
“It was on me not walking (Chapman),” Schalnat said. “I probably should have walked her earlier with a base open.”
Lexington took the lead in the sixth when Mariana Molton led off with a single and eventually scored when No. 9 hitter Madyson Taylor lifted a fly ball to shallow right that was misplayed for an error.
“I was going to keep battling until that at-bat was over,” said Taylor, who delivered the game-winning hit in a district semifinal win over Ontario. “I wasn’t done playing during district and I wasn’t done here.”
Lexington was making its second Final Four appearance and first since 2002.
“As crazy as it sounds, I’m not disappointed at all,” Galownia said. “I couldn’t be any prouder of how they went toe-to-toe with the best (Division IV) team in the state.”
