Raiderbback04

Congrats to Lex Cath on adding baseball to their state title bag for this school year. Beechwood, you guys are tough and represented yourselves, families, schools and our region with class. Great job, Beechies and good luck to all of you seniors who will be playing and/or studying elsewhere in a couple of months. Get back to full strength soon, Buddy Sawyer, and God bless the recovery of Chris Curley's sister!

I'm sure that Bob will start Bankemper and then have Elliott in the relief role based on the pitchers he has used in the post season. I would guess that LexCath will have their ace or #2 ready since they were able to share 3 pitchers in their first win. So, a pitching edge would have to go to LexCath in the final. The Beechies will have to hit the ball well later today in order to bring home the big trophy.

Incredible to score 7 runs with only 2 hits. Almost seems impossible in a state semifinal game. Destiny????? with what the Curleys have gone through and Buddy's H.A. Great win for the Beechies. You might as well figure out a way to win again tomorrow. Congratulations to PRP on a fantastic season! Chris Curley and Eric Sawyer are two big-time, big-game players!

Gotta paint tomorrow. Good luck at Midland! GO Beechies and bring home a state title to NKY!

I wonder what Chris is hitting on the stadium radar. I would assume at least mid to high 80's. Congrats to the Beechies! I'll go ahead and light up the victory cigar for them!

I guess people find out that Chris Curley is a mighty fine pitcher. Let's go finish this shutout just for Mr. No Name. I wonder if he will get back with Diamond Dandy, who predicted Beechwood to win the state.

Great start, Tigers. It will be hard to beat Curley staked to a 5-run lead. Almost incredible to think 5 runs with one hit. Go Tigers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats to Beechwood on a great come-from-behind win. 2 More to go!

Thanks for your nice comments. I was very impressed with the aggressive style of the Aces. Their leadoff hitter is an outstanding offensive weapon with her speed and hitting ability. The difference in the game was Kirsten Allen. Ryle loses two starters and they had a number of sophomores starting so they will be very tough again the next two years. Repeating is not easy but the Lady Raiders have what it takes to accomplish that task.

After nearly a 3-hour delay for lightning, the Lady Raiders finished off a very good Owensboro Catholic squad to claim this year's top prize. Absolutely fantastic ball games (OCath won the first game 4-2) with Kirsten Allen leading the Raiders to the championship 5-2. Kirsten Allen as a sophomore proved to be the best pitcher in KY. Congrats to the Lady Raiders on an awesome season. The game ended about 1:15 a.m.

Congrats to Beechwood and good luck at Semi-State. You outplayed us tonight. Thanks to Florence Freedom for allowing the tourney to use such a great facility. I sure enjoyed watching the Raider seniors for 4 years: Jerrod Babik, Giovanni Devita, Josh Dusing, Micah Forman, Mark Guttridge and Steven Sander. Best wishes always and God bless you! Hold your heads high!

Thanks for the clarification. This was exactly the situation last night so the umpires were correct as is the norm.

Agreed!:thumb:

How could I choose anyone but Ryle in another great game? Should be a great game at a great place with great kids representing two great schools. Let's win one in memory of Mr. Cooper!

7:00 p.m. at Champion Windows Field in Florence.

Baseball doesn't generate the same level of interest as football and basketball for whatever reason. I know that many people in Orange and Black actually took off when we were down 6-1 thinking that the game would not be resumed after the brief storm visited. They sure missed one of the more exciting comebacks in local baseball history. What a great venue for the regional tourney. I do hope there will be a better turnout for tonight's final.

Did Dustin run backwards or just stop. I was not watching him carefully enough to notice if he just stopped or actually moved backwards. It's fine to stop. If he did move backwards, it was in very slow motion and perhaps not enough to catch the ump's attention IF IF IF indeed you are not allowed to "run" backwards. I actually believe that as long as you stay in the baseline you can run any direction you would like but I do not have the rule down for sure.

Agreed. Good move by Bob. I assume that Pat will throw Ryle's ace, Brent Humphrey tomorrow. Should be simply one outstanding game.

It was Ryle's backup catcher, Dustin O'Hara, who made the good choice to just stop running. I would imagine that was Dustin's first sacrifice bunt of the year. Our starting catcher, Micah Forman, broke his finger in the district tourney. Dustin has stepped up and done a great job. We are sad for Micah and yet glad to have such a good backup catcher.

I was surprised at some of the chances that Walt took early when it was still anyone's game. Missed opportunities early doomed St. Henry. The Beechies swung the bats well all game, scoring in every inning.

Certainly a bizarre finish. NC had it in their grasp if they made the routine plays in the 7th.

Great comeback by Ryle after trailing 6-1 after 4 and 1/2. Huge game by Mark Guttridge with 5 RBI's, a near miss on a grand salami and then a 3-run bomb to tie the game at sixes with two outs in the bottom of the 6th. NC scored the go ahead run in the top of the 7th. Then, NC got generous after playing 6 innings of error-free ball. A throwing error allowed the leadoff man on base. Then, Dusty O'Hara laid down a good bunt right at the first baseman. Dutty stopped half way down the line and then the first baseman lobbed the ball over the second baseman's head to put runners on the corner with no outs. Brent Humphrey then tied the game at 7-7 with a sac fly to deep left center and the runner from second moved to third. The NC pitcher then got an infield popup for the second out. However, the second pitch was wild and Ryle rejoiced with a dramatic and thrilling 8-7 comeback win over a very good NC squad. NC swung the bats well and Ryle's pitchers issued too many walks. Certainly a memorable high school game at a beautiful ball park. Lookin' forward to the Ryle-Beechwood championship game. Congrats to NC on a great season.

Should be two great games at a very nice ball park.

Good news on Dustin and all Raider fans are glad he is OK.

Senior Giovanni Devita went the distance and threw a one-hitter at the Juggs with 9 K's and giving up 2 walks. Both teams played well in the field. We were very concerned when Lloyd pitcher Dustin Driffmeyer (spelling?) was removed suffering from hopefully just heat exhaustion in the 4th inning. I think it was 6-0 when he had to be taken off the field by the local life squad. He appeared to be conscious and OK and we wish him the very best. It was an anxious time, especially with Mr. Cooper's sudden death yesterday. Good job by the Raiders and congrats to the Juggs on making the regional tourney.