Congrats to Conner, good luck at state and keep it rolling!

 

Nice season Birds, thanks for all your hard work in building the success of the program, particularly the seniors.

Great game, great pitching duel and fun atmosphere.

i really felt bad for HHS 1st baseman with the error that led to the first run and eventually the 3 the Cougars scored that inning, but was a great game and both teams played their hearts out. Congrats Cougars! Represent the 9th down state!!!!

I also thought it was pretty cool that UK was represented well at the game.

Patrick Towles was there rooting on Highlands and Drew Barker was there rooting on his Conner Cougars.

I was really impressed with Ricky Raisor's change and curve tonight. NASTY!! The Birds will be very good next year..

 

Sounds like he was as good as advertised. Certainly something to look forward to!

Just outstanding pitching by Raisor and by Blaise. Both teams played a great game.

It's real simple folks. The Conner Cougars won and have earned the 9th region championship. Kick some arse down south and best of luck Cougars!

 

Break through the first 9th region out funk!

I'm thrilled for the Cougars for Conner's first regional championship since 1979. Conner gets at least one more game to enjoy.

 

Hats off to the Birds. I have so much respect for Coach B and you guys should be so proud of your team. The starting pitcher tonight, Raisor (sp?) was just outstanding. When he left the game he got applause from me and a large part of the Conner fans. Nothing but respect for how he pitched tonight, and how your team played.

 

Good luck Cougars as you represent the 9th next Tuesday vs. Boyd County.

Congrats to Arlo and the Cougars. So much for preseason rankings. Good season by Birds and what a turnaround for that program. Glad to see the region title stay in Boone Co. for maybe the first time ever back to back. Best wishes to the Cougars at state. I think they will continue to have fun and play great team baseball!

Congratulations to Coach Baioni. He has raised this Highlands baseball program from the ashes. Happy for your success.

Best of luck to the Conner Cougars on winning the 9th Region Championship!!!

Congrats to Arlo and the boys. I know my son loved playing summer ball for Arlo and would of loved to have played for him in High School. He is a great guy and lets the kids have fun and play as he is the biggest "kid" on the team. He likes to have fun and the kids respond year in and year out. I couldn't be happier for him. It looks like I have an excuse to take a day off work next week and head south.

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

FLORENCE – They made their second appearance in the 9th Region title game in two years Wednesday.

But unfortunately for the Highlands Bluebirds baseball team, two words have kept the Bluebirds (22-18) from bringing the elusive gold trophy back to Fort Thomas. That’s clutch hitting.

It cost them in a 3-0 loss to the Conner Cougars at University of Cincinnati Medical Center Stadium. Conner (25-9) scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh to pull off the win. The Cougars won their first crown since 1979.

“That is a phenomenal team over there,” said Brad Arlinghaus, Conner Head Coach, of Highlands. “My heart goes out to them. They battled and deserved this as much as we did.”

The Bluebirds have been outscored by a combined 6-1 in those title games.

Newport Central Catholic beat them, 3-1 in the title game in 2012. The Bluebirds hoped to win their first region crown since consecutive titles in 1996 and 1997.

“Guys are playing their tails off,” said Jeremy Baioni, Highlands Head Coach. “We didn’t put a few hits together and made some base running mistakes. You simply can’t do that against good teams and win. It just wasn’t mean to be.”

Highlands managed six hits off Conner pitchers Blaise Ostertag and Nick Craddock. Jake Whitford led the way going 3-for-3 with a double.

“(Ostertag and Craddock) threw the ball well,” Baioni said. “I think we got a little undisciplined at the plate and started to chase some balls that were out of the strike zone. It’s the regional final and these guys were anxious and ready to go. I think that hurt us offensively.”

The Bluebirds had two wonderful chances to score. They put runners on second and third with two out in the third. Even Allen walked and moved to third when Whitford singled. Whitford moved to second on a Conner fielding error. But Ostertag got Todd Ramey to pop out.

The Bluebirds also put the first two runners on base in the seventh inning. Craddock hit D.J. Mills with a pitch and Luke Hennigan singled pinch-runner Austin Beal to third before pinch-runner Mitch Gesenhues stole second. But Craddock, a freshman, struck out Brandon Hergott and Alex Veneman before coaxing Brady Murray to pop out to end the game.

Sophomore Ricky Raisor pitched a great game for Highlands. The Cougars did not move anyone past second until the sixth inning. They only managed three hits off Raisor and relief pitcher Mitch Jones.

Jeffrey Schneider was hit by a pitch to open the sixth. Raisor retired Cameron Ross and Ostertag before Jared Williams walked. The Bluebirds brought in Jones at that point.

Blake Hart hit a ground ball to the right side that appeared to end the threat. But the ball skipped past Mills into right allowing Schneider to score. Ryan Wared then batted home Williams and pinch-runner Matthew Justice on a triple.

The Bluebirds graduate five seniors from the team. They are Allen, Joey Cochran, Ben Vermeil, Gesenhues and Hergott. Highlands won just six games their freshmen years.

“The seniors are one of the reasons we’ve come as far as we have,” Baioni said. “Those guys have worked their tails off since the eighth grade and wanted to see this thing through to a regional championship. We fell just short of that. They have nothing to be ashaimed of.”

Highlands will also be able to pull up players from successful freshmen and junior varsity squads. They both claimed the 9th Region Tournament crowns.

 

FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Bluebirds come up short in region title game

Congrats to the Cougars on a very well played game. The Birds have really impressed me these last few years. Baioni had done wonders with those boys. Raisor is Shining Star, the Kid can pitch and responded very well to getting the Big start.

 

Birds had their chances to manufacture some runs but couldnt Get a clutch hit.

 

Best of luck to Conner.

Congrats Conner....where is the state games played?

 

Usually Whitaker Bank ballpark (Lexington Legends). Looks like first game is 6/2 11am.