WARREN EAST’S SEMIFINAL WITH CLINTON COUNTY PUSHED BACK TO WEDNESDAY
They converged along the left-field line, of WKU’s Nick Denes Field, reflecting on another successful season but intent on processing their disappointment in the KHSAA 4th Region Tournament.
The Bowling Green Purples, ranked in the Commonwealth’s Top 10 for most of the regular season, fell behind quickly and never recovered in their 7-3 loss to the Russell County Lakers on Tuesday night.
It was a game that took about four hours to complete, in large part because of a lengthy weather delay in the top of the fifth inning. One night after a gritty 11-8 victory over Logan County in Russellville, the Purples had met their match in Russell County pitchers Nathan Lawson and Cody Luttrell.
David Rexroat, the veteran Russell County coach, plans to scout the Warren East-Clinton County game with an eye toward the championship game. The Lakers’ players will probably stay home, in Russell Springs, when Warren East squares off with the Bulldogs on Wednesday.
Lawson, the winning pitcher, didn’t give up a hit until the bottom of the sixth inning, when Bowling Green’s Patrick Forbes led off with an infield single. The Purples would strike for three runs on as many hits, and they had two base runners in scoring position — with NO OUTS, no less — when Russell County coach David Rexroat turned to Luttrell out of the bullpen.
Lutrell, a senior left-hander, struck out five consecutive batters and completed the task at hand, sending the Lakers to the championship game rescheduled for Thursday afternoon. The nightcap, a semifinal between 14th District champion Warren East and Clinton County, was pushed back to noon Wednesday, weather permitting.
The Purples would finish the season with an impressive 25-10 record, but on a damp Tuesday night at Western Kentucky University, they’d have to turn the page on BGHS coach Nathan Isenberg’s fourth year with the team.
“Their starting pitcher (Lawson) was lights out,” Isenberg said. “I don’t know, how anybody … he was locked in. Then, they brought the lefty out of the bullpen. They’re a very good team.”
Bowling Green was haunted by defensive mistakes for the second straight night. The Purples could overcome them, in winning at Logan County. The Lakers were able to capitalize on those breaks, improving to 27-6 heading into Thursday’s championship game.
“Every senior class I’ve had, in 22 years, has been able to play in a regional championship game,” Rexroat said. “We’ve won the 4th Region nine times. Nathan Lawson kept ’em off stride. He knew he had to have command on his curveball.
“Cody’s done that, out of the bullpen, all year long. He really keeps his composure.”
BGHS senior right-hander Dawson Hall struggled with his command in the early going and the Purples quickly fell behind 2-0 in the first inning.
The Lakers would add two more runs in the third, and later grabbed a 7-0 lead when the rain started falling harder in the top of the fifth.
Timing is everything.
Patrick Forbes, the Purples’ multi-talented senior, couldn’t come up with Evan Hammond’s sharp grounder in the driving rain, and the umpires called for the weather delay.
When the Purples returned to the field, Forbes had replaced BGHS teammate Dawson Hall on the mound, and the first two batsmen he faced were hit by pitches. Forbes then struck out Trace Stringer, the Lakers’ leadoff man, to end the threat, and he followed that by retiring the next six batters he faced, five of them by strikeout.
The University of Louisville signee did everything he could to get the Purples back in the game.
“We came in knowing they had a good team,” Forbes said. “I think we left it all on the field. I’m proud of my guys, for battling back the way we did.”
Hall took the loss, finishing 7-3 on the season. Lawson, meanwhile, improved to 8-2 with the victory. He has an ERA of under 1.00 and has struck out 109 batters in just 59 innings pitched. He’ll be playing next year at Eastern Kentucky University and earned the Purples’ respect.
“(Lawson) was throwing three pitches for strikes,” Forbes said. “He has a really good changeup.”
Isenberg was appreciative of Forbes, Hall and the other eight BGHS seniors, including center fielder Turner Nottmeier and catcher Spencer Newman. Most of the Purples’ infield was manned by seniors, including Blake Ginter (third base), Forbes and Nathaniel Roof (first base).
Ginter’s line-drive single to left field scored Nottmeier and trimmed the Purples’ deficit to four runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Bowling Green would get no closer.
“These 10 seniors are a great group of guys,” Isenberg said. “This being my fourth year, we’ve kind of had a special bond … When you play teams of Russell County’s caliber, you have to execute. We tried to scratch and claw to give ourselves a chance.
“They’re a really good team.”
Russell County’s Aiden Antle, a junior outfielder, had two key hits, a two-run single to left-center field in the third and an infield single that scored teammate Mayes Gosser in the fifth.
The Lakers had the upper hand pretty much from start to finish.
“The game will humble you,” said the Purples’ Spencer Newman, coming back from a significant injury to his left forearm sustained in last week’s 4-3 loss to Warren East. “I had their guy (Trace Stringer) picked off at first base (in the first inning), but I just sailed it.
“I think we might have underachieved a little bit.”
BGHS coach Nathan Isenberg was a little more philosophical.
“Only one team is going to finish a season with a win,” he said. “Losing like this, it’s supposed to hurt.”
