DAWSON HALL’S TWO-HITTER SETS THE TONE
The Bowling Green High School baseball team is having a lot of fun.
The Purples are winning, sure, but it goes beyond that.
They’re dominating the KHSAA’s 14th District, and they’ve got their sights set on something much, much more.
The promised land of the KHSAA state tournament, naturally.
Bowling Green right-hander Dawson Hall fired a two-hitter and the Purples’ bats came to life in a methodical 13-0 thrashing of Greenwood on Tuesday evening at the BGHS ballpark.
It was the annual game to honor the late Mason Goodnight, who died unexpectedly at the age of 10 from bacterial meningitis in 2017. Players from both teams had Goodnight’s name on the back of their jerseys, and a non-profit was established in his name to raise money for scholarships and youth sports in Bowling Green and Warren County.
Bowling Green improved to 18-5 overall and 4-0 in 14th District play with the rout of the Gators (12-8, 1-3). The Purples are the top-ranked team in South Central Kentucky, and they’re a talented squad with plenty of moxie and depth.
It was a banner night for BGHS shortstop/pitcher Patrick Forbes, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound senior headed for the University of Louisville.
Or is he …
Professional scouts were in the stands, as they were on Monday night, when the Purples took care of business with an 8-5 victory at Greenwood. BGHS coach Nathan Isenberg wasn’t thrilled with the way his team finished that game, letting the Gators back in it with a three-run fifth inning.
This time, there was no such suspense.
Forbes unloaded his 10th home run of the season, and his fourth grand slam, in the Purples’ six-run third inning. Forbes connected on a 2-2 pitch from Greenwood freshman Easton Talley, sending it over the fence in left-center field and bringing the overflow crowd to its feet.
“I just went up there looking for something to hit. Try to hit it hard,” Forbes said.
Well, he did.
Hall took care of everything on the mound, giving up two hits in five innings pitched. Hall, who will be playing at Western Kentucky University next season, struck out five Greenwood batters while walking just two. Isenberg said it was probably his best outing of the season, and the Purples’ players said they were motivated by playing in the game dedicated to Mason Goodnight’s memory.
“That’s the best game Dawson’s pitched this year,” Isenberg said. “I like the way he works on the mound. He doesn’t waste time. He went out and threw strikes.”
Hall earned his fourth victory in six decisions. Greenwood starter Caden Whittle (4-1) took the loss for the Gators.
“I just tried to stay ahead in the count, make them hit the ball,” Hall said.
Hall’s catcher, BGHS senior Spencer Newman, took it a step further.
“Dawson just pounded the zone,” Newman said. “Even the ball calls were close to the strike zone. It was an exciting night, for a good cause. I think we were ready to play.”
Patrick Forbes, meanwhile, has become a story all by himself. He’s signed with the tradition-rich Louisville Cardinals, but pro scouts from the Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks were in the stands Tuesday night. On Monday, at Greenwood, it was the Los Angeles Angels.
The Purples are trying to focus on the task at hand, but Forbes may have a decision to make in June, if he’s drafted in the right spot in the Major Leagues’ free agent amateur draft.
“I really try not to think about it,” Forbes said with a smile.
Forbes is making a strong case for Kentucky Player of the Year honors, with some impressive numbers in limited innings on the mound and some monster stats at the plate.
Forbes is batting an eye-opening .567 in 22 games, with 10 home runs, 19 extra-base hits and 42 RBI.
And get this.
He’s only struck out four times. Of course, opposing pitchers tend to pitch around him. Greenwood coach Jason Jaggers had Forbes intentionally walked twice in Monday night’s game, so Isenberg moved Forbes to the top of the lineup on Tuesday.
Which was a new experience for Patrick Forbes.
“Never. I’ve never batted leadoff before,” he said. “Second, third, fourth … but never leadoff.
“I kind of liked it.”
Forbes’ grand slam capped a six-run third inning, and the Purples came back to score three more runs in the fourth. Forbes, second baseman Ben Davenport and DH Nathaniel Roof all had two hits, and Newman had a two-run single to right field in the third.
“We were pretty disciplined at the plate,” Isenberg said.
The Purples are clearly having a good time playing baseball, and perhaps their 2021 experience will keep them grounded for the stretch run. Bowling Green took a sparkling 34-5 record into the state tournament last year, before falling 5-4 to McCracken County in first-round play at WKU’s Nick Denes Field.
It’s Nathan Isenberg’s job to juggle it all through May and into June for postseason play.
“A lot of people don’t realize our sport is a little different than other team sports,” Isenberg said. “It’s high school baseball. You’ve got graduation, prom, the end of the school year, seniors thinking about college … There’s a lot going through their minds.
“Other sports don’t have those distractions. We just try to get our guys focused the best we can.
“With teenagers, you never know.”
The Purples will get back on the practice field for a couple days before traveling to Louisville for a mini-tournament and games against St. Xavier (20-5) and Cincinnati Elder. Greenwood, meanwhile, will play host to Russellville on Thursday before making the short trip to face Allen County-Scottsville on Friday.
