Scott 8 Bourbon County 4 (10th Region Championship)

[RedAndBlackhawks]

WCPO story and link:

 

Scott rallies again to win Region 10 title

Eagles erase 3-run first-inning deficit

 

 

By John Lachmann

Kypostsports@yahoo.com

Twitter: @rednblackhawks

 

CYNTHIANA, Ky. – Scott wiggled out of some tight spots in its regional semifinal, but in the championship the Eagles took their ability to escape jams to an extreme.

 

The Eagles stranded 12 Bourbon County baserunners, including 10 in scoring position, to hold off the Colonels, 8-4 in the Region 10 title game at Harrison County on Wednesday.

 

“We’ve been playing like this for two or three weeks now,” coach Jeff Trame said. “To beat Harrison County last night on their home field gave us a lot of confidence…our guys just keep gutting it out. I can’t say enough about them.”

 

Related: Story for Harrison County-Scott here Scott stuns nemesis Harrison County - Sports Story.

 

It was the first regional championship since 1988 for the Eagles, who will make their first-ever appearance in the state tournament next week. The last time they won regionals the state had a sub-sectional format, so only the top four teams advanced to state.

 

The Colonels entered the contest allowing just 1.4 runs per game and had surrendered more than four just once – with seven-run total coming in a tournament in Tennessee vs. an out-of-state opponent.

 

So it was not looking good early for Scott when, after sophomore right-hander C.J. Seay walked the first two batters of the game while pitching in a light rain, senior shortstop Devin Bellville jacked a three-run homer over the center field fence.

 

But in similar fashion to the semifinal, the Eagles clawed their way back into the game. Senior shortstop Reed Spata led off the bottom of the first with a single, advanced to second on a groundout and scored on an infield error to make it 3-1.

 

Bourbon County threatened in the second with a single, a walk and a pair of wild pitches but came up empty.

 

The Colonels again failed to score in the third despite a double, a walk and a single. Scott squelched a suicide squeeze play, as the lead runner was tagged out at the plate after the missed bunt, and a groundout to second ended the inning.

 

The Eagles capitalized on the missed opportunities. With two out and no one on in the bottom of the third, Spata walked and advanced to second on a passed ball.

 

Senior third baseman Nick Brinkman singled up the middle, scoring Spata. Senior center fielder Josh Castleman followed with a walk, and senior catcher Blake Gay crushed a double to the right field fence to score two, giving Scott a 4-3 lead.

 

“When Blake got the big hit, you could see the tide was turning,” Trame said. “That’s kind of like last night when we did the hidden ball trick that kind of turned things around. That was big. And Blake’s been hitting the heck out of the ball and he’s been using the whole field, and he went the other way and went large and almost hit it out of here.”

 

Said Gay: “I noticed he was throwing first-pitch fastballs the whole time, so I had to wait back and go (after a) first-pitch strike.”

 

The Eagles drew two more walks after the Gay double before a pop-up ended the inning, but Scott had erased the initial three-run deficit and taken the lead.

 

“Blake really came through in this tournament, he came up big and he’s had a big year,” Spata said. “That showed us that we’re in this game. We’re making plays, they’re making plays and we’ve got a good shot at winning this ball game. That was a clutch hit.”

 

After the first batter in the top of the fourth was hit and the second reached on a throwing error, Seay was lifted. An RBI double tied it, but the inning ended on a lineout to freshman second baseman Jake Ohmer on which the lead runner was doubled off of third.

 

“We had our infielders not in but midway,” Trame said. “Jake was able to catch that line drive out there. If we had them in, maybe he doesn’t catch that line drive. He got it, he knew what to do with it and that keeps them from having the lead, and that was huge.”

 

The score held at 4-4 until the bottom of the fifth. Senior first baseman Cameron Kinney led off with a single and sophomore DH Andrew Trame was hit.

 

Ohmer laid down a sacrifice, advancing both runners, and senior pinch hitter Nick Thurza – who came off the bench to hit a two-run homer in the regional opener – lifted a sacrifice fly to left to give Scott the lead for good.

 

After consecutive singles to lead off the top of the sixth, Ohmer came in to retire all three hitters he faced as the Eagles dodged yet another Bourbon County scoring threat.

 

“That’s one of the biggest things in baseball – you get out of jams like that, runners in scoring position, you go in, you’re ready to hit,” Spata said. “It just gives you all the momentum to score runs.”

 

And Scott did just that, playing add-on with three more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Castleman singled home Spata and Brinkman, and Castleman eventually came home on a wild pitch.

 

Ohmer overcame an error to open the top of the seventh to mow the next three hitters down and earn his first save of the season.

 

Spata reached base in all four of his plate appearances and scored three runs. He singled to lead off the first and drew three walks.

 

“He was huge,” Gay said. “Getting on base as a leadoff hitter is big. It gives us momentum and with our lineup we can get him around and get him to score.”

 

Spata also made an outstanding defensive play, ranging up the middle to retire to leadoff hitter in the top of the sixth. His team led by just one at the time and the next two hitters reached, so that could have changed the outcome.

 

“That’s why you’re 10th Region player of the year, because you go out and do that,” Jeff Trame said. “His on-base percentage is unbelievable. He’s had an incredible year.”

 

After Seay was pulled, three Scott relievers combined to throw four scoreless frames. Senior Logan Herzog worked 1 2/3 innings for his second win of the season and Ohmer tossed two innings and allowed just one baserunner on an error.

 

“What can you say?” Trame said. “Logan Herzog really has pitched well every time he’s gone out, and he’s pitched out of the bullpen all year, and he had not played last year. And then (Ohmer) comes in for him and gets out of a jam. We just kept picking each other up.”

 

The top four in the lineup -- Spata, Brinkman, Castleman and Gay -- were all named to the all-tournament team.

 

The Eagles will play Thursday's Boyd County-Corbin winner at 8:30 p.m. on June 2 in the first round of the state tournament in Lexington.

 

BOURBON 300-010-0—4 7 0

vs. SCOTT 103-013-X—8 7 2

 

WP: Herzog (2-0). LP: Wheeler. SV: Ohmer (1). HITTING LEADERS: S—Brinkman 2-3; Gay 2B, 2 RBI. BC—Bretz 2B; Bellville HR, 3 RBI; Pope 2B. RECORDS: Scott 25-14, Bourbon County 33-4.

 

Link -----> http://bluegrasspreps.com/ky-baseball-high/scott-8-bourbon-278643.html

[Hilltopper2005]

This game was won in the top of the 6th when Bourbon County had their first 2 batters reach base and did not bunt their clean up hitter. He grounds into a force at third leaving runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. Number 5 hitter then drives one deep to center advancing both runners with 2 outs. Number 6 hitter makes an out and all but ended the game. A critical spot that required bunting your clean up hitter! Just a little "small ball" and it could have produced a different outcome in my opinion.

[rjs4470]

This game was won in the top of the 6th when Bourbon County had their first 2 batters reach base and did not bunt their clean up hitter. He grounds into a force at third leaving runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. Number 5 hitter then drives one deep to center advancing both runners with 2 outs. Number 6 hitter makes an out and all but ended the game. A critical spot that required bunting your clean up hitter! Just a little "small ball" and it could have produced a different outcome in my opinion.

 

Maybe. But the way Scott was scoring runs, 1 run might not have been enough. And who know how competent BC's cleanup hitter is a bunting. Tough situation to maybe get your first bunt down of the year. And even if you get the bunt down, you still need 1 hit, maybe two to take the lead. The way BC was stranding runners (I think they left 12 guys on base), giving one of your last 6 outs away may not have been such a good idea, especially when it likely be the last at bat of the game for one of your main power hitters.