Eagles fall to Aces in regional baseball championship

he Ohio County Eagles entered the 2021 Third Region Baseball Tournament as 10th District champions. But few around the region probably considered Ben Everley’s squad to be a serious contender for the regional title. Those, and several others, were probably surprised that the Eagles earned a berth in Monday night’s regional championship game, where they fell a little short, falling to Owensboro Catholic by a final of 11-4.

But the game was much closer than the final score indicates.

Last Saturday, Ohio County faced Ninth District runner-up Apollo as their first-round opponent. Ohio County had beaten Apollo during the regular season at Owensboro, but the AHS Eagles entered Saturday’s contest with a good 23-9 mark overall.

After three scoreless innings, Apollo got to Eagle junior righthander Ashton Farris for two runs in the top of the fourth frame, using three solid hits. But that lead didn’t last long as Ohio County sent 13 batters to the plate in the bottom of the inning, with the first nine scoring to give the Eagles a 9-2 edge.

Farris led off with what appeared to be a home run over the left centerfield fence, but the ball was ruled a ground rule double after hitting a utility wire just in front of the fence. Jaylen Walker then singled, with designated hitter Derek Bradley reaching base on a fielder’s choice and courtesy runner Morgan Hall scoring. Apollo then went to its “bull pen” bringing in freshman Will Strode to replace stater Tyler Payne. Brandon Davis greeted Strode win a single to drive in the tying run, before Brian Tichenor was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Grayden Barnard then drew a walk to force in a run, with Matthew Smith singling to drive in another.

Clayton Goff drew an intentional walk — his second intentional pass of the game — with Jacob Gregory then drawing another base on balls to plate another run. Apollo then replaced Strode with another freshman, Noah Cook, who gave up a two-run single to Farris and another hit to Walker before they finally got three outs.In the bottom of the fifth, Ohio County added two more runs on a Tichenor double, Smith’s sacrifice fly, and base hits by Goff and Gregory, making the score 11-2. Apollo plated two runs in the top of the sixth on a single, two hit batters, a fielder’s choice and another single, cutting the deficit to 11-4. In the top of the seventh, Apollo took advantage of an OCHS fielding error and a walk to set up Dan St. Claire’s three-run homer, making the score 11-7 with two outs. But an infield popup then ended the game.

Apollo (23-10) 0 0 0 2 0 2 3— 7 8 0

Ohio Co. (17-16) 0 0 0 9 2 0 x—11 9 1

WP-Farris (7 IP, 1 K, 2 BB, 2 HBP. LP-Strode (3 BB, 1 HBP). 2B-Farris, Tichenor (OC), Bowman (A). HR-St. Claire (A). **OC: hitting—1B-Walker 2, Smith, Goff, Gregory, Farris, Davis; RBI-Smith 2, Gregory 2, Farris 2, Barnard, Bradley, Davis; Sac-Smith, Bradley; SB-Smith 2, Walker. **AHS pitching—Payne (3 IP, 2 K, 5 BB), Cook (2 IP), Bowman (1 IP).

Sunday night, Ohio County was matched against 11th District champion Meade County. The Green Waves’ leadoff hitter scored in the top of the first, but that was all Meade could muster against Eagle senior Brandon Davis as Ohio County took a 3-1 win to advance to Monday’s finals.

Dylan Abell led off with a long double to leftfield, moved to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a passed ball, giving the Wave a 1-0 lead. Number three hitter Trevor Goodwin also smacked a one-out single, but from there on Davis was pretty much in control. Meade County managed to get runners to third base in the top of the fifth and sixth but could not score.

Ohio County tied the game in the bottom of the second on Walker’s leadoff double, his steal of third base, and crossing on a wild pitch by MCHS hurler Justin Hiner. In their next at-bat, the Eagles got a 2-1 lead on Smith’s one-out single, his stolen base, and Goff’s triple to right field. Tichenor led off the OCHS fifth with a single, moved up on a Meade County error, and scored on Smith’s third hit of the night.

OCHS freshman Deacon Addis came on to pitch the top of the seventh, striking out the first two batters and inducing a flyball out to left to end the game.

Meade Co. (23-11) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0—1 2 1

Ohio Co. (18-16) 0 1 1 0 1 0 x—3 6 2

WP-Davis (6 IP, 7 K, 5 BB, 1 HBP). LP-Hiner (6 IP, 8 K, 1 BB). S-Addis (1 IP, 2 K). 2B-Smith, Walker (OC), Abell (MC). 3B-Goff (OC). **OC: hitting—1B-Smith 2, Tichenor; RBI-Smith, Goff; SB-Smith, Walker.

Monday night’s regional title clash was close for five innings, with Catholic holding a 6-4 edge. But the Owensboro team put together a five-run bottom of the sixth to put the game out of reach. The Aces struck first, scoring in the bottom of the first on an Ohio County error, a hit batter, a stolen base, and a base hit. Catholic — which won this year’s “All-A” state baseball tournament in April — added four more runs in the last of the second on a walk, two hit batters, and doubles by Sam McFarland and Luke Scales, upping their lead to 5-0.

But Ohio County rallied for four runs in the top of the fourth on walks to Smith and Goff, Gregory’s single, another walk to Farris, another to Walker, and Davis’ sacrifice fly, cutting the deficit to 5-4. Scales launched a long home run to left off Eagle starter Deacon Addis in the last of the fifth to put the margin at 6-4.

But in the sixth, Addis — who had kept the Aces off-balance with a variety of breaking pitches — got the first two batters out then surrendered three consecutive hits, walked another, and gave up three more hits before Everley brought on Smith in relief. Smith issued a walk but then got a groundball force out to end the inning, with Catholic up 11-4. Catholic senior reliever Hunter Small walked Addis to open the top of the seventh but retired the next three Eagles to end the game.

Ohio Co. (18-17) 0 0 0 4 0 0 0— 4 2 1

Catholic (32-5) 1 4 0 0 1 5 x—11 13 2

WP-F. Munsey (4 IP, 5 K, 6 BB). LP-Addis (5.2 IP, 2 K, 2 BB, 3 HBP). 2B-Smith (Ohio), McFarland, Scales, Mundy, Wall (Cath). HR-Scales (Cath). **Ohio: pitching—Smith (.1 IP); hitting-1B-Gregory; RBI-Walker; Sac-Davis. **Cath pitching—Small (3 IP, 4 K, 1 BB).