ALLOWED JUST TWO HITS IN
THREE INNINGS ON THEMOUND.
GATORS DISMANTLE FIFTH-RANKED PURPLES, 10-1, IN TITLE GAME; BOTH SQUADS ADVANCE TO 4th REGION TOURNAMENT
Greenwood High School’s Jason Jaggers borrowed a page from the Earl Weaver Playbook on Tuesday night in the KHSAA 14th District championship game.
You know, “Pitching, defense and three-run homers …”
That was the formula for Jaggers, the Gators’ veteran coach, and his resilient squad, which bolted to a 6-0 lead in the top of the second inning before storming to a resounding 10-1 victory over fifth-ranked Bowling Green High School on a warm night at South Warren Ballpark.
Greenwood won for the ninth time in its last 10 games — the lone exception was a 5-4 loss at Franklin-SImpson, which won the KHSAA 13th District title Tuesday — while improving to 25-10 overall. The Gators, ranked No. 24 statewide, by MaxPreps, figure to make a jump in the assorted polls before the 4th Region Tournament unfolds on Memorial Day at WKU’s Nick Denes Field.
IS GREETED AT HOME PLATE AFTER HIS
THREE-RUN HOME RUN IN THE SECOND.
WORKED TWO INNINGS ON THE MOUND
BEFORE YIELDING TO THE GATORS’ MASON COSBY.
IS JOINED BY GATORS PITCHERS (FROM LEFT)
JACKSON LEE, ETHAN YORK AND MASON COSBY.
Greenwood shortstop Kioshe Une belted a three-run home run in the top of the second inning, after two critical Bowling Green errors, and the Gatahs never looked back.
It was Greenwood’s third consecutive 14th District championship.
“Sometimes, you need a little bit of luck. Capitalize on an opponent’s mistakes,” Jaggers said. “You’ve got to put the ball in play. Yesterday, (GHS infielder) Sam Holder told our guys, ‘We’ve gotta play like a buncha dawgs.’
“They played like a bunch of dawgs.”
SINCE ITS 10-5 LOSS TO GREENWOOD
ON APRIL 29 AT HAROLD J. STIHL FIELD.
FINISHED THE TASK AT HAND
ON THE MOUND FOR HIS TEAM.
ADDRESSES HIS TEAM AFTER THE GAME.
Greenwood and Bowling Green will learn of their first-round 4th Region opponents on Thursday morning, when the tournament draw is held at BGHS. The Purples lost for the first time since their 10-5 defeat at the hands of Greenwood on April 29, in their two-game, home-and-home district series. They’ll take a 31-5 overall record into 4th Region play.
“We had some mental errors, offensively and defensively,” BGHS coach Nathan Isenberg said. “We’ve got to regroup and get ready for the 4th Region Tournament, because we know what we’ll be up against there, too.”
Jaggers and Isenberg both used multiple pitchers in Tuesday’s championship game, with Greenwood clearly holding the upper hand.
Ethan York, the Gators’ 6-foot-4 sophomore left-hander, battled out of trouble in both the first and second innings before yielding to Greenwood teammate Mason Cosby in the bottom of the third.
York and teammate Jackson Lee joined forces on a trick play that was one of the early turning points in the game.
After falling behind 6-0, Bowling Green’s Logan Johnson was hit by a pitch before Purples shortstop Colt Isenberg slapped a single up the middle. Johnson was Bowling Green’s starting pitcher and BGHS sophomore Lincoln Thorpe was serving as the Purples’ courtesy runner at second base.
York had already shown a deft pickoff move, at first base, and motioned toward Lee for what looked like another pickoff play at second base.
Lee went airborne and his Gators teammates scrambled toward the outfield grass, but York still had the ball in his hands. The Purples’ Thorpe got caught in a rundown for the first out of the inning, and York was able to retire the side while avoiding further damage.
“We felt like that was a low-risk, high-reward play,” Greenwood coach Jason Jaggers said. “It completely changed the inning.”
WITH RIGHT-HANDER LOGAN JOHNSON
AND THE PURPLES’ INFIELD IN THE SECOND.
LEADS OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE FIFTH
WITH A LINE-DRIVE SINGLE.
A STEADYING FORCE BEHIND THE PLATE.
York issued a leadoff walk to Bowling Green’s Hudson Nottmeier in the third, at which point Jaggers went to right-handed reliever Mason Cosby, moving York to first base. Cosby struggled with his location a little in the third, and the Purples loaded the bases with two outs, but he struck out BGHS shortstop Colt Isenberg to end the threat.
Isenberg got a foul tip on Cosby’s 1-2 pitch and Greenwood catcher Griffin Veazey hauled the ball in, sending the Gators back to their dugout with the 6-0 lead.
“Pitching with a lead like that really helps,” Cosby said. “It made it easier. You have to play confident, with a lead like that.”
Cosby worked the three middle innings, giving up the lone Bowling Green run in the bottom of the fifth.
Nottmeier led off with a line-drive single to left-center field, and BGHS teammate Landon Gilbert followed with a walk. Nottmeier was able to steal second base, but Gilbert was caught leaning off, at second base, with Veazey getting the ball to Lee for the putout on a pickoff play from behind the plate.
Nottmeier scored on Logan Johnson’s line-drive single to center field, but he was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double, with GHS shortstop Kioshi Une taking the throw from the outfield before getting the ball to Lee to the final out of the inning.
“Base running mistakes can really cost you in a big game like this,” BGHS coach Nathan Isenberg said.
Lee, who can play virtually any position for the Gators, took over on the mound in the bottom of the sixth. He gave up a one-out single to the Purples’ Grayson Rodgers, but BGHS eighth grader Henry Phillips grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, and Greenwood had pretty much sealed the deal.
Then, for good measure, the Gatahs scored four more runs in the top of the seventh. Greenwood DH Bryce Mangold had a two-run single through the left side in that inning.
“Our pitchers did their thing, and the defense supported them,” Une said. “Like the South Warren game (a 7-1 victory on Monday night), I feel like we earned this one, too.”
Une connected on his fourth home run of the season, a three-run shot that sailed over the left-field fence, to put the Gators in front, 5-0, in the top of the second. Jackson Lee would score the final run of the inning, on Bowling Green’s third error in the frame, and Greenwood was well on its way to a third consecutive 14th District championship.
DELIVERED A THREE-RUN HOME RUN
IN THE TOP OF THE SECOND INNING.
‘YOU’VE GOT TO PUT THE BALL IN PLAY …’
NINE OF ITS LAST TEN GAMES.
Greenwood eliminated Franklin-Simpson, 4-2, in its 4th Region opener last year before dropping a 2-0 decision to crosstown rival Warren East. In 2024c , the Gators opened 4th Region play with a 6-1 victory over Barren County, but they were eliminated by tradition-rich Russell County, 6-2, in the semifinals.
“We’d like to be able to break through,” Greenwood coach Jason Jaggers said. “We have a buncha guys who ‘buy in’ to what we’re doing. You’ve got to fight, you’ve got to compete.”
Somewhere, the late, great Earl Weaver is smiling.
GOT IN ON THE FUN AFTER THE GAME.
TAKES A 38-0 RECORD INTO THE 4th REGION TOURNEY.
SOUTH WARREN SOFTBALL ROLLS PAST GREENWOOD, 17-0
The No. 1-ranked South Warren fastpitch softball team had little trouble with Greenwood in the KHSAA 14th District championship game on Tuesday night, drubbing the Lady Gators, 17-0.
South Warren improved to 38-0 overall. The Spartans and Greenwood will both learn of their first-round 4th Region opponent in the tournament draw on Thursday morning at Bowling Green High School.
“(South catcher) Kinleigh RUssell hit a walk-off home run to seal the deal,” South Warren coach Kelly Reynolds said in a telephone interview Wednesday morning. “Believe it or not, that was the first home run, of her career, at our place …”
Russell has signed with Oklahoma State University, one of five South Warren seniors headed to play NCAA Division I softball next season.
South Warren right-hander Courtney Norwood, who is committed to the University of Kentucky, worked four innings in the circle for the Spartans. She allowed two hits while earning her 20th victory of the season. Norwood has struck out 147 batters in 98 innings pitched, against 15 walks.
Greenwood will take a 24-12 overall record into the 4th Region Tournament.
“They’ve been swinging the bat really well,” Reynolds said. “I think we could definitely see them again (in the 4th Region championship game).”
EARNED HER 20th VICTORY OF THE SEASON.
ADVANCED TO THE KHSAA 4th REGION TOURNAMENT.
AND I’M JUST LIVIN’ IN IT …