The CNE Rockets softball team poses with the district runner-up trophy at Lebanon High School Monday night.

By Garth Shanklin
Sports Editor

The CNE Rockets softball team poses with the district runner-up trophy at Lebanon High School Monday night.

The Clermont Northeastern Lady Rockets found themselves at a crossroads earlier this season.

After starting the 2015-2016 campaign 5-2, the team lost three straight road games, allowing double-digit runs in all three contests. Head coach Bill Goldfuss said the team struggled in all aspects of the game during that streak.

“Pitching, defense, we weren’t hitting the ball,” Goldfuss said. “We had a few weeks there where we didn’t play because of the rain, we had to come back and it took us four or five games to get back on track. Once we finally got going again we played well up until Friday.”

The third loss, a 12-5 decision at New Richmond, dropped the team’s record to .500 on the year. After sweeping a doubleheader against Lynchburg, the squad split their next three games, leaving them with a 9-8 record heading into the season’s final month.

That’s when things began to take a turn for the better.

The Lady Rockets pounded Felicity 8-1 in what turned out to be their regular season finale after a game against Fayetteville was cancelled. That meant the team went eight days between their final game of the regular season and the sectional tournament opener against Deer Park.

CNE rolled in that contest, posting a 4-0 shutout victory. Less than a week later, the team endured a shootout with Reading, winning the game 19-10 and a sectional title along with it.

That set up a match against Indian Lake on Monday night at Lebanon Jr. High. The game was a continuation of a suspended game from last week that saw the Lady Lakers score eight runs in the first inning and seven in the second to take a commanding 15-0 lead. CNE would lose the game 15-1, ending their season as the district runners-up.

Goldfuss said he was proud of his team, especially given the circumstances surrounding the game itself. He added that he had some advice for the team after the game ended.

“Keep your heads up,” Goldfuss said. “I’m proud of us. Nobody expected us to get this far…We had to play Friday in rain, and it wasn’t the best of circumstances. It’s hard to come back and have four outs to keep the game going. We showed up today and didn’t quit. We came up a bit short, but that doesn’t indicate our season. They’re going to take a trophy and a medal out of here today, I’m proud of them.”

Goldfuss also noted he was happy with how the season turned out, especially considering the downswing the team found themselves on midway through the campaign.

“I’m extremely pleased with the way we performed,” Goldfuss said. “We had a rough stretch during the season and we struggled to keep it together, but they worked hard. They bought in, we finally started getting some breaks and hitting the ball well. They came together at the end and won five, six games to get into the tournament.”

Goldfuss added the team had a shot at a district title, something they could only dream of at the beginning of the year.

“When you get to this point, you get a chance to play for a district championship, at the beginning of the season I couldn’t have asked for any more than that,” Goldfuss said. “They gave me everything they had and I’m just pleased that they had the opportunity to get to this stage and play a game of this magnitude.”

For most of the Lady Rockets, this was their first shot at advancing to the regional finals. Senior Lindsey Wright, the team’s lone senior, was on the team that advanced to the regional finals in 2013. Goldfuss said she was a leader on the diamond and the team will miss her next year.

“She’s been our leader from day one,” Goldfuss said. “She’s a four-year varsity starter who’s played third base for the last four years. She was a part of our last regional final team three years ago, she was a freshman that year. It’s taken her a few years to get back here, but she’s the leader and the heart and soul of our team. She keeps everything going, she’ll be deeply missed.”

Wright led the team with a .485 batting average, three home runs and 19 runs batted in. While she is leaving, the remainder of the team will return next season and Goldfuss said he believes the squad has a solid future ahead.

“Hopefully we get an infusion of some young players, freshman that are coming up who can pitch in here and there to help us,” Goldfuss said. “I think the future’s bright. When everyone comes back but one, you’ve got something to build on. I told them it didn’t end the way we wanted this year, but we’ve got something to look forward to next year.”