It's finally here! After a long season, it all comes down to this. The 2025 9th Region Tournament ends tonight, and one team will go onto to the 2025 State Baseball Tournament. There is some consistency in this matchup. From 2015-2023, it's been either Highlands or Beechwood to win the region - last year was Ryle. Highlands dominated their first two matchups in the tournament - they might be playing their best baseball of the year now. The Tigers have had a great draw - and have 2 phenomenal pitchers remaining at their disposal for tonights game. Highlands and Beechwood met in the regular season and it was Highlands winning 7-1. 

Tonights game will be fantastic, and if you cannot make the 8:00 first pitch, I'll be broadcasting the action live on bluebirdsradio.com . 

Highlands 6 Beechwood 2.  My prediction

As posted in the 9th region thread:

The Tigers need Chase Flaherty to keep the Birds bats down and somehow scrap together one more run than the Birds. The Birds are a clear favorite tonight - but this is baseball. There is no other sport where the clear favorite loses as often as baseball. 

Highlands by 2+

2 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

As posted in the 9th region thread:

The Tigers need Chase Flaherty to keep the Birds bats down and somehow scrap together one more run than the Birds. The Birds are a clear favorite tonight - but this is baseball. There is no other sport where the clear favorite loses as often as baseball. 

Flaherty is such a dogged competitor, Highlands will have to earn everything it gets. I'm tempted to pick Beechwood, but the Birds have arms and bats in abundance. And they've hit their stride over the last three weeks.

Give me Highlands in a spirited, low scoring contest.

Beechwood 4, Highlands 3 

In a game pitting two aces against each other, Flaherty comes out on top. 

Birds strike first against Flaherty & the Tigers:

* Carner RBI single drives in Schwalbach - 1-0

* Anderson groundout plates Hendrix - 2-0

Mid 1st - Highlands 2-0

Tigers leave one on base and trail 2-0 end of 1.

 

Highlands adds another run on a Sac Fly by Nolan Schwalbach...

Highlands 3, Beechwood 0 - Middle 1st

Tigers score two on THREE errors by the Bluebirds infield. Highlands now has four errors in two innings. 

Highlands 3, Beechwood 2 - End 2

Birds held scoreless in top of 3rd - Kai Anderson singled, but stranded when his courtesty runner was gunned down on a steal attempt by Beechwood senior catcher Carson Welch.

Highlands 3, Beechwood 2 - Middle 3rd

Beechwood goes down 1-2-3 against Robinson in the bottom of the 3rd.

Highlands 3, Beechwood 2 - End 3

Birds strand two in the top of the fourth. No damage recorded.

Highlands 3, Beechwood 2 - Middle 4

Tigers mirror the Bluebirds and strand two of their own in the bottom of the fourth. 

Highlands 3, Beechwood 2 - End 4

Pitching Update

Flaherty - 4 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K - 78 pitches

Robinson - 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K - 52 pitches