HIS 10th VICTORY IN 11 DECISIONS.
SOUTH WARREN LEFT-HANDER MIKEY CORADINI SHINES OUT OF THE BULLPEN; GRAY PEARSON DELIVERS GAME-WINNING SACRIFICE FLY IN THE NINTH
LEXINGTON — South Warren High School’s baseball team is making a habit of pulling out dramatic victories in comeback fashion.
The Spartans did, it again in the KHSAA State Tournament, slipping past Highlands, 6-5, in nine innings, while advancing to a quarterfinal matchup against McCracken County now scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Two weather delays held up the Spartans in their tournament game at UK’s Kentucky Proud Park, and the final two games of first-round play have now been pushed back to Saturday. South Warren improved to 31-8 on the season while Highlands finished at 27-8-1 overall.
THE WINNING SACRIFICE FLY IN THE NINTH.
South Warren senior first baseman Gray Pearson drove in the winning run, sending a pitch from Adam Forton into left-center field for a sacrifice fly that brought the Spartans’ Jaxen Decker home with the winning run.
“Just because we’re down doesn’t mean we’re out,” Pearson said.
The Spartans lost KHSAA 4th Region Player of the Year Griffin Rardin on a controversial play in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Rardin tied the game at 5 with an RBI triple to center field and stood at third base with the potential go-ahead run when Ethan Reynolds stepped to the plate. Reynolds hit a ground ball to third base, and the Bluebirds’ Noah Lahner fired home, where Rardin was in a collision with Highlands catcher Kai Anderson.
The ball squirted free, but Rardin was ruled out by home-plate umpire Adam Hale. Rardin also was ejected from the game, much to the chagrin of South Warren coach Chris Gage.
“(Hale) said it was malicous contact,” Gage said. “We’re planning an appeal (to the KHSAA), but you never know about something like that …”
RECOVERS TO PULL IN POP FLY
AND RETIRE THE SIDE IN THE SIXTH.
MEETS WITH HIS FUTURE WKU COACH,
MARC RARDIN, AFTER THE GAME.
SENDING JAX DECKER TO THIRD IN THE NINTH.
HITS THE BRAKES
IN THE NINTH INNNG …
South Warren left-hander Mikey Coradini, who has battled tendinitis in his throwing shoulder for the last month or so, turned in a masterful performance out of the bullpen. Coradini scattered six hits and allowed one earned run — off a mammoth home run by Highlands’ Brooks Hendrix to lead off the seventh — over 7 2/3 innings pitched.
South Warren DH Casey Green went 3-for-5, and teammates Jax Decker and Griffin Rardin had two hits apiece.
I’ll have a complete story on the game, as well as a look-ahead to the McCracken County game, on Saturday morning. Thanks for reading jimmashek.com
McCRACKEN COUNTY IN
THE QUARTERFINALS ON
SUNDAY AFTERNOON.