Burton was able to eliminate Big Sandy from the playoffs Thursday night, taking 16-1 and 12-1 victories to advance to the area round.
After a storm caused an hour and a half delay, Big Sandy and Burton were able to get in two games at West Fork High.
Burton was able to control most of their two wins Thursday. The Lady Panthers are ranked in the top 20 of the state, but there are several ranked above them that Big Sandy has played. Big Sandy coach Mark Young feels Burton is better than any they have faced this year.
“They were that good,” Young said. “We had a few chances to score a few more runs, but we pretty much played at our level. We had one error per game and four hits per game. They are just good.”
The 2025 season will likely be remembered as the year the Lady Wildcats opened their new facility. The coach said it has added so much to the program.
“It was just great. There is just a different feel out there and it is almost like a playoff feel every day you go out there for practice, scrimmage or game. We've played on more turf fields this year than any other year, and ours ranks at the top. We played on a nice one Thursday, but it wasn't as nice as ours.”
Young said the field has expanded the popularity of the sport at the school and given the opportunity to host neutral site games.
“It has drawn some interest. It looks like we have a fairly good-sized group of incoming freshmen for next year. They are just excited to get out there and we will actually have four sets of sisters playing next year.”
The two seniors on the team will be missed. Though a small class, 2025 graduates Jaycie Blankenbaker and Shelley Weatherford had a large impact at Big Sandy.
“They had to carry a big load. They had to do pretty much all of the pitching. Toward the end of district, they really came around and started working hard, knowing that the load was on them. We were not walking hardly anybody, I think one walk per game. Offensively, they had some low points, but overall, they did really well. They came through with some timely hits and were willing to lay down bunts that sometimes seniors don't want to do. Their personalities were such that they weren't vocal leaders, but they were leaders nonetheless.”
Losing only two to graduation off a playoff squad, the future is bright in Dallardsville. Catcher Skyler Wick led the district in home runs and her average was around .500 in district play. She and six other starters will combine with some new talent, looking to improve on their mark in 2026.
