Big week at the Diamond

What a week of high school baseball/softball. First of all the Williamsburg Lady Jackets pulled off a stunner in winning the 49th District Softball Tournament. The Lady Jackets surprised the Corbin Lady Redhounds, 4-0 then beat Whitley County in the finals, 2-1.
That’s a shocker when you consider the Lady Jackets lost to Corbin 13-1 (April 21) and 13-5 (May 3). The lost twice to Whitley County, 11-1 and 8-0. That’s a total of 35-7.
How did they make such a big turnaround? One may have been the pitching of eighth grader Cecily Sears.
Sears appeared in the district when Williamsburg fell behind Barboursville in a first-round game. She led the Lady Jackets back to a 10-6 win, both from the plate and on the mound. Sarah Smith also had an outstanding district tournament from the plate and made some big plays, especially against Whitley County, in centerfield.
It was a matter of peaking at the right time for the Lady Jackets.
However, the Lady Jackets lost to Clay County, 20-0 in three innings Monday in the first-round of the 13th Region Tournament.
Somewhere between the win over Whitley County and the game against Clay County, the magic disappeared.
•The magic may have shifted a little north up the interstate to the home of the Whitley County baseball team. The Colonels shocked the 13th region when they rocked the defending champions 4-0. Whitley County knocked off Rockcastle County and sent the Rockets packing.
First-year coach John Smith elected to go with ace, Jeremy Taylor while Rockcastle coach J.D. Bussell tried to hold out all-stater Colby Brown. Smith’s decision paid off while Bussell and his boys will watch the rest of the tournament from the sideline.
It surprised me that Rockcastle County held out Brown and Ronnie McClure, the number two pitcher because it was just a couple of weeks ago that Whitley County went to the wire with the Rockets before losing in the seventh inning. In that game, Whitley County took a 3-0 lead but Rockcastle County came back in the late innings to win, 5-4.
Taylor, who is still unsigned, will surely get some offers in the next couple of weeks. He has the ability to be an outstanding college pitcher. He came play the outfield and is one of the best centerfielder in the region. He hits the ball well and is a smart player at the plate.
I’m sure he would be the first to tell you his defense came through to win the game over Rockcastle County. In particular, catcher Jonathan Bowman, the quarterback of the football team. Bowman has become one of the top catchers in the area. After watching Whitley County for the first time last season and the Colonels losing an outstanding catcher last year, that was going to be a critical spot this year. Bowman more than filled those shoes.
Matt Strickland has become a tough little shortstop as well and the Colonels outfield is as strong as any in the region.
•I picked the Corbin Redhounds to win the 13th region baseball tournament about midway through the season. The Redhounds seem to have a little of everything, good pitching, good hitting, outstanding defense. The one thing they have that some of the other teams don’t is speed. Something you can’t coach.
The Redhounds are very quick on the bases and are dangerous when they get there. Jake Mahan and Kenny Kysar seem to be the leaders of this team. Both are peaking at the right time.
Corbin has won 12 of their last 14 games and have only given up 18 runs during that time while scoring 75 times. That’s a 5-1 average. That was pretty much on target in the Clay County win Monday, 6-1.
•It was sad to see the end of high school softball end for Whitley County seniors Samantha Hundley, Jessica Fritts and Linda Sawyers. I’ve only watched the three play for two years but they gave it all they had. But, don’t feel to sorry for them, they were good enough to earn a scholarship to Cumberland College, so it will be just a nice summer break.
Congratulations to Corbin’s Blake Freeman and Ryan Logan. The two made it to the quarterfinals of the KHSAA Tennis Tournament. The beat a team from Russell County in the first-round 6-4, 6-3 then beat Madonna’s Matt Love/Ben Fotsch, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
In the third-round, the Corbin boys beat Louisville Trinity’s Mike Logan and Steven Lavelle in a come from behind effort, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. They could have quit after the first game and gave in to the big-city boys, but they fought back in the second game to win a close match. They poured it on in the third set for the victory.
However, it was a pair of Louisville boys from St. Xavier that eliminated the Redhounds 6-2, 6-2 in the quarterfinal round.
These two should make a lot of noise next year because they both return to coach Curt Hart’s team.
Corbin should have a shot at the state title next season with some strong players returning.
•Last but not least, the Williamsburg track teams fared well in the regional meet at Eastern Kentucky University last week. Several individuals will be looking for big things this week at the state meet in Lexington. The one who I think has a shot at a state title is Tyler Ayers in the discuss. He is ranked 9th in the state with his best throw being 132.05. He is ranked sixth in the shot put with a throw of 44.09.
Chase Hamblin in the hurdles and Tyler Harris in the pole vault also have an excellent chance of bringing home a state title. Tyler is ranked 7th and Chase is 6th.
Erin White is the highest ranked female at fourth in the pole vault.
Two relay teams are among the top. The 4×200 is ranked second going into this week. Alec Day, Matt Jones, Justin Trett and Will Hill will run that race. They are also ranked fifth in the 4X100.
Corbin’s Libby Davis who finished second at the regional Class AA meet might surprise a few opponents.
And, don’t forget Whitley County. The Colonels and Lady Colonels will be in a tough field of teams in the AAA competitions. Stacy Perkins is ranked among the best in the shot put.
Good Luck to all this week at the KHSAA Track and Field Meet.