For the South Warren baseball team, big moments mean big performances. Seeking their third 4th Region championship in the last four years, the Spartans used a supreme effort from senior pitcher Cameron Shryock and some defensive plays worthy of ESPN’s Top 10 Plays of the Day to get by Bowling Green 1-0 in the championship game.
Shryock, who is headed to Western Kentucky University to play baseball, tossed a no-hitter on WKU’s Nick Denes Field to help the Spartans get back to the state tournament. The righthander, in the midst of the post-victory celebration, was quick to admit that he needed help posting the zero in the hit column.
“It was probably one of the best defensive games we’ve had all year,” he said. “Trey Kirtley (first baseman) came up with two big plays that saved hits. Austin McElwain (outfielder) made a catch on a ball that was going to be a hit, and (outfielder) Kieffer Baxter actually saved a run with a diving catch. I couldn’t have asked for better defense.”
Spartan head coach Chris Gage believes it was a case of the pitcher and the defense rising to the occasion.
“That was a great team win,” he said. “What the defense did for Cam and what Cam did for the defense was extraordinary. Some of those things probably only happen in huge postseason, pressure-packed games. In that situation, kids sometimes make plays that they might not ordinarily be capable of making.”
South Warren (28-9 after the regional tournament) needed the spectacular plays to overcome Bowling Green, which had won 13 straight games and ended its season with a 31-7 record. BGHS righthander Joseph McIntyre kept the Spartan bats in check, allowing only five hits.
South Warren pushed across the only run Shryock would need in the fourth inning, when Kirtley hit a single to drive in designated hitter Noah Burns.
“It’s impressive what Cam did against one of the best teams in the state,” Gage said. “And I think it’s unprecedented what our players have done, winning three out of four regional championships. That doesn’t happen in baseball.”
The road to the championship game for the Purples was nearly as dramatic as the final game. After beating South Warren for the 14th District championship, Bowling Green was matched against Logan County and ace pitcher Caleb Bruner, who will play at WKU next season.
The Purples prevailed 3-2 in a 12-inning marathon that saw the two teams combine to strand 25 runners. Logan County twice left the bases loaded.
Bowling Green used three pitchers – starter Stuart Posey and relievers Luke Thurman and McIntyre – to get the victory.
Bruner started slowly for Logan County, giving up two runs in the first inning, but kept the Purples in check after that. He could only pitch eight innings, however, and gave way to reliever Matt Harper.
Logan County tied the game with a run in the second, when Kaleb Justice scored on a wild pitch, and another in the fourth, when Harper hit a run-scoring single.
In the bottom of the 12th inning, BGHS loaded the bases with no outs. Logan County tried for the force out at home on a groundball, but Bowling Green’s Ethan Wilson came in to score. Logan County, the 13th District runner-up, ended its season with a 24-11 record.
Another first-round nailbiter saw Russell County prevail 1-0 over Glasgow in a duel between pitchers Dalton Shoemake of Glasgow and Taylor Grider of Russell County. Neither pitcher gave up a run through four innings, although Glasgow stranded three runners in the fourth.
Russell County broke through in the bottom of the fifth. Outfielder Bobby Williams singled, advanced on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a single by catcher Lucas Bault.
Glasgow, which ended its season with a 17-16 record, threatened in the seventh with two runners on base but couldn’t score.
The other opening-round games saw Barren County beat Metcalfe County 5-2 and South Warren take care of Franklin-Simpson 7-3.
Barren County, the 15th District champion, had to come from behind to beat Metcalfe County. The Trojans trailed 2-1 going into the bottom of the fifth. An interference call against a Metcalfe County infielder brought in the tying run, and BCHS shortstop Andy Highbaugh drove in the go-ahead run with a single.
Barren County added two insurance runs in the sixth, one on a single by outfielder Grant Bowen and the other on Highbaugh’s sacrifice fly. Junior pitcher Ellis Wininger got the win for the Trojans, going the distance and giving up seven hits. Metcalfe County, the 16th District runner-up, ended its season with a record of 8-18.
South Warren took care of business in its opening-round victory over Franklin-Simpson, with Shryock getting the job done on the mound and at the plate. He threw five shutout innings and also drove in two runs as the Spartans avenged a regular-season loss to Franklin-Simpson.
The Spartans pushed across a run in the second inning but held only a 1-0 lead until the fifth. They added two runs in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Austin McElwain and a single by Jacob Lewis. South Warren made it 5-0 with two runs in the sixth and added two more in the seventh. Franklin-Simpson ended its season with a 21-16 record.
Both Bowling Green and South Warren dominated in their semifinal games, the Purples blasting Barren County 10-4 and the Spartans taking care of Russell County 11-1.
Bowling Green jumped on the Trojans early, scoring two runs in the first inning and four more in the second to go up 6-0. Barren County cut into the lead in the bottom of the second, scoring three runs off BGHS starter Tyler Stahl before he was relieved by Luke Brown. Brown held the Trojans scoreless for four straight innings before surrendering a run in the seventh.
BGHS juniors Bobby Dillard, Jackson Gooding and Ethan Wilson drove in two runs apiece in the victory. Barren County ended its season with a 20-17 record.
Russell County, the 16th District champion, was no match for South Warren in the other semifinal game. The Spartans pounded out 13 hits and benefitted from eight Russell County errors to win in six innings. Senior Wes King was the winning pitcher, allowing five hits and a single run over six innings.
The Spartans jumped on the Lakers quickly, scoring four runs in the first inning. They added two in the fourth and scored five in the sixth to end the game by mercy rule. Senior Grant Noble led the SWHS offense, going 4-for-4 and scoring three times.
Russell County closed out the season with a 27-8 record.
After winning its third regional championship in four years, South Warren also advanced to the state quarterfinals for the third time. The Spartans defeated South Laurel 5-3 in the opening round of the state tournament and were scheduled to play Scott High School June 4 in a quarterfinal game. South Warren is trying to reach the state semifinals for the first time.
