Edmonson Voice Sports:
With two senior nights rained out and failed attempts at reschedules, it looked like Senior Night for the Edmonson County Lady Cats wouldn't happen for the lone senior on this year's squad, pitcher Julie Norris.

Thanks to some creative work from the Lady Cat staff, teammates, and the Norris family, a last-minute Senior Night was able to happen at James Woodcock Field at ECHS on Sunday, May 18th after practice.

Julie was honored along side her family when practice concluded on Sunday, as the team prepared for first game of the District 12 Tournament, hosted in Whitesville tonight at 7PM against Butler County (9-22).

Norris has been the starting pitcher in all 25 Lady Cat games this year. She has an ERA of 3.43 in a total of 161.1 innings with 149 strikeouts this season. She also has the second-highest batting average on the team this year (.383) with five home runs.

She is the daughter of Brent and Pauline Norris of Chalybeate.

​Story and photos by Joseph Barkoff:
Sandwiched in between storms rolling through the Mississippi Valley and up past Edmonson County, Wildcat baseball was finally able to complete a last-ditch senior night Thursday, May 15th in Brownsville.

Storms rolled in cancelling home games Monday and Tuesday, so a last attempt for a make-up was scheduled for Thursday.

With only one senior on the team, it made for an easy ceremony as senior third baseman Garrett Lyons was flanked on both sides by his teammates as he mounted the field from the home dugout to meet his mom and dad at home plate with, of course, a small bouquet for mom.

All things considered, it was a beautiful night for baseball with a slight breeze in the humid, approximately 86-degree air with a cloudy cushion above to keep the sun off the field.

Despite a few errant large rain drops scattered intermittently throughout the game, the Wildcats were able to come out strong in the first inning and hold down their visiting opponent Todd County Central Rebels.

​It helped having junior right-handed pitcher Hunter Wilson on the mound tossing darts across the plate.

In the previous night’s work for Wilson, he surmounted the 300 strikeout mark for his career at Edmonson County, and he earned another 15 to his tally against the Rebels in 7 innings pitched Thursday.

Wilson allowed only one hit and 4 BBs, facing 28 Rebel batters. He helped his cause with two hits and a walk in three plate appearances with an RBI as well.

Wilson said he didn’t think he would be in the race for beating the strikeout record at Edmonson County, now in place for around 15 years, according to head coach Michael Meredith.

“It’s amazing,” Wilson said before the game. “It’s something I didn’t see happening coming in. Starting varsity in seventh grade I did not think I would even be in this spot to beat the record. Being in this spot to beat it is amazing.”

He noticed last year after surpassing 200 strikeouts, he could be close. Now with his junior year ending with over 300 strikeouts, the target 375 record is within reach.

He thinks he will break it as long as he stays healthy, he said.

​“There’s very few pitchers that get the opportunity to get that many, but it’s because he’s worked hard,” Meredith said before the game. “It’s not because of me. He is one of the hardest workers I have ever coached.”

One thing that makes his career stat so impressive is the fact he achieved it with the team having a dozen games cancelled due to weather and Wilson missed a potential four more starting opportunities to increase his K’s, Meredith explained.

“We’ve won three out of the last four,” Meredith said. “So, hopefully we have peaked at the right time. Hoping for a win tonight.”

With District play starting next Monday, Meredith hopes his team is ready, he said.

The Wildcats were able to score one run in the first, second and fifth inning each, while holding the Rebels to just the one hit through seven, for a final score of 3-0.

Lyons was able to get on base twice with two hits in three at bats. The Wildcats made eight hits in the game through 24 at bats and only struck out six times.

“It feels great to come off a win,” Lyons said in the dugout after his final regular season game as a Wildcat. “I’m definitely gonna miss it. Always gonna wanna come back here and play, but I am glad I ended it with a win.”

With weather rolling in, there is a game scheduled for tomorrow, 5:30 p.m. Friday May 16 at the Bluegrass Blazers Home School, but if it doesn’t cooperate, District play is scheduled to begin Monday May 19.

Lady Cat softball also struggled with finding a game to celebrate senior night for their lone senior, Julie Norris, due to the same problem with recent weather cancelations. Norris has been a staple of Lady Softball for several years.

They will begin district tournament play next week in Whitesville.

The Wildcats are set to face Butler County at 5 p.m. in Morgantown May 19 to begin their District 12 Tournament.

Photos by Joseph Barkoff:

Edmonson Voice Sports:
ECHS Junior Brayden Johnson has won his second consecutive Region 3 Tennis Championship.

The third region tennis tournament kicked off Saturday, May 10th, at the Owensboro Tennis Complex, where the ECHS team had eight participants. Junior Brayden Johnson, the tournament's top seed, was the only Wildcat to advance and had a bye the first round.

On Saturday, Johnson defeated Grayson County’s Ethan Kingrey: 6-0, 6-0, which advanced him to the quarterfinals. On Monday, Johnson defeated Hancock’s #1 Lukas Anderson: 6-1, 6-0. After advancing to the semifinals, Johnson then defeated Owensboro Catholic’s #1 Jack Haines:  6-2, 6-3 to advance to the finals on Tuesday, where he defeated overall #2 region seed, Daviess County’s Landon McDuffee: 6-7, 6-1,  with a 10-6 super tie breaker.

“Brayden came through last night  under immense pressure— in front of a large crowd—against an outstanding opponent., said ECHS Tennis Coach Jodi Johnson. “He showed great composure and played his best when it mattered the most.”