Published June 02, 2008 05:39 pm - It was the biggest strikeout of Tyler Richardson’s life.
4TH REGION CHAMPS!
Trojans hold off Gators to claim title
By JOHN VERSER
Glasgow Daily Times
BOWLING GREEN
—
It was the biggest strikeout of Tyler Richardson’s life.
And it could very well be the biggest in the history of the Barren County baseball program — so far.
Richardson came in to face Greenwood’s Brandon Miller with two on and two outs in the top of the seventh with the Trojans clinging two a two-run lead.
Richardson’s 2-2 pitch hit the corner as he struck out Miller looking, lifting Barren to its first-ever Fourth Region baseball title with a 9-7 win over Greenwood on Saturday night at Nick Denes Field.
“It’s the biggest strikeout I’ve ever seen. We’ll take it,” Barren coach Scott Gillon said.
That strikeout and win advanced Barren to the semi-state round to take on Christian County in a best-of-three games format. The games will be played Wednesday and Thursday, and if necessary, Friday, at Henderson County High School. Game time is set for 6 p.m. each day.
The Trojans (27-10) jumped out to an 8-0 lead and held a 9-4 advantage heading into the final inning. The Gators got a leadoff walk and a single to open up the seventh inning. Ty Downing’s fielder’s choice put runners at the corners with one out. Sandwiched around a strikeout, Greenwood reached on a walk, a hit batter and an error, to go along with two other errors in the field. The Gators scored three runs to cut the lead to 9-7.
Greenwood (24-7) had runners at second and third with two outs when Gillon went to the mound to talk to starting pitcher Lucas Mohon.
“When I walked out there, he (Mohon) told me, he said bring in Rich(ardson),” Gillon said. “I think he knew right then and there, I guess he just got a little tired there. So I brought Rich in and you know, Rich had a game early today. I brought him in for one.
“I walked out there and asked him, I said, are you OK? He said, yeah, I’m ready to go. At this time of the year, the emotions and everything it just gets you. I guess you don’t feel it.”
Richardson worked the count to 2-2 against Miller, who hit a grand slam against Metcalfe County earlier in the day. Miller took Richardson’s fifth pitch on the corner for a strike as the Trojans celebrated their Fourth Region baseball title.
“I tell you, it’s just one of those moments that you live for,” Richardson said. “Just playing baseball all your life, you dream about being a champion, dream about big time games. That was just a big time situation.
“Lucas, you know, he pitched a heck of a game. It’s hard to come in after something like that when it’s just a complete jewell. You know, if we make a couple of plays, they don’t score as many runs. It’s one of those moments you live for and you just try to go out there and give it your all.”
Mohon got the win after going six and two-thirds innings, giving up just three earned runs (seven overall) on four hits. He struck out 13, walked four and hit two batters. Richardson got the final out to earn the save.
Jonathan Riddle and Tyler Edmunds hat two hits each. Edmunds, Mason Myatt and Matthew Riley drove in two runs a piece.