“I feel great,” Rastatter said. “It was a great team win. We finally put our bats together and it’s all coming together, and I’m sure we’ll have a good run this year.”
Rastatter struck out eight hitters during her complete game victory. She also had the go-ahead RBI single in the bottom half of the first inning after Kenton Ridge get a two-out double from sophomore catcher Jayden Davis.
Shawnee (3-2, 0-1 CBC) had two runners reach base to begin the seventh inning after Emma George drew a leadoff walk and Scarlett Crawford flared a single to center field.
Rastatter said the moment after Greene’s two-out inside-the-park home run was “very stressful,” but she believed in the team and credited her teammates with helping her adjust to varsity softball as a first-year starter.
“It was definitely a rocket at first,” Rastatter said. “But I’ve definitely adjusted and I’ve grown closer with all the girls. It’s just a great atmosphere, and I love it here. I just feel very comfortable.”
Kenton Ridge collected 13 hits in the game and plated seven runs across the fourth through sixth innings to give the Cougars a 9-1 lead.
“These kids love to hit,” said Kenton Ridge coach Sarah Schalnat. “That’s the thing is we don’t have a weak spot one through nine. These kids are all hitters. Even the kids that are on the bench. They can come in and get a base hit.”
Rastatter struck out the side in the third inning then gave up an RBI single that brought the game to 2-1 in the fourth. She then didn’t allow a Braves baserunner to reach third base until the final frame.
“I think she did great,” Schalnat said. “She settled down and she just went after them. I think she did a great job. Again, I think that is experience playing all summer, playing all the time. I think she was completely fine. I didn’t notice anything of her being rattled or anything like that.”
Kenton Ridge, a Division II state semifinalist a year ago, lost 7-2 at Shawnee last season.
Braves senior starting pitcher Aleeseah Trimmer pitched four innings and allowed nine hits and six runs. She also went 1-for-2 with an RBI.
“They’ve built a type of team that you want to emulate,” Shawnee coach Gary Baugh said. “Did a lot of good things. Obviously there’s some things we need to work on, but positive things. Really good things that we’ve seen moving forward we’re going to be able to do and we’re going to be able to accomplish. I think we’re going to be alright.”
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