DaytonDailyNews.com

HAMILTON — Badin High School's new softball complex opened to rave reviews and an exciting victory for the home team Tuesday, March 31.

The Rams dedicated Carl Schatt Field in style against Girls Greater Cincinnati League foe Seton as senior Lindsay Williams lashed an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to complete a 6-5 triumph.

"That was awesome, wasn't it?" Badin coach Greg Stitzel said. "It was just great, very dramatic. The excitement has been building for quite a long time. We really wanted a 'W' in this game, and the girls came back and got it for us."

Schatt Field, located in Joyce Park next to the CYO football complex (Walt Bonner Field) and across the road from the Badin baseball team's Alumni Field, replaces Powerhouse Park as the home of Rams softball.

Schatt Field was built with private donations and is named for the 1954 Hamilton Catholic graduate and longtime supporter of Badin athletics who currently keeps the softball score book.

"People like Carl Schatt — a volunteer, a supporter, a great donor — these are the type of people who are so vital to your school," Badin Athletic Director Sally Kocher said.

Schatt delivered the ceremonial first pitch to Ken Mueller, another key figure in the construction process.

The field has large dugouts, a storage building, a scoreboard and fencing that circles the complex. Stitzel said a press box, batting cages and pitching lanes are future goals.

"This is something I've wanted for a long, long time," said Stitzel, noting that planning began in earnest two years ago during a meeting with Badin Principal Frank Margello.

"We needed a safe place for the girls to play," the seventh-year head coach added. "If and when I walk away from the program, I'll be very proud that this field will be some kind of legacy for me."

Said Seton coach Mary Agricola, "I was very impressed. The field is fabulous."