Thursday night’s Ninth Region softball championship game between Ryle and Highlands high schools will have a professional flavor.
Each team has a player with a father well known to local sports fans. Ryle senior Maclai Branson is the daughter of former Cincinnati Reds player and current Pittsburgh Pirates hitting coach Jeff Branson.
Highlands sophomore Taylar Lorenzen is the daughter of Jared Lorenzen, the "Hefty Lefty" and former star quarterback at Highlands and the University of Kentucky.
Branson played nine seasons in the major leagues, six with the Reds from 1992-97. He had 383 career hits and 34 home runs.