CANNONSBURG, Ky. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” Boyd County dispatched Rowan County 13-3 in five innings on Saturday to win the 16th Region baseball tournament championship at Larry Addington Field in Cannonsburg, Kentucky.
The LionsÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ Grant Slater, who got his second win of the tournament, was named the region tournament MVP. He was 3 for 3 with two doubles and two RBIs.
Boyd County (29-5) moves on to the state tournament against 12th Region champion Boyle County (28-8) at 1 p.m. Thursday at Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington.
Conner Davis, Brogan Jones and Brody Biggs drove in two runs apiece for the Lions. Kaleb Kelley was 2 for 4.
Brody Lykins slapped Rowan CountyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s (27-12) only hit.
The all-tournament team consisted of Boyd CountyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Brayden Coleman, Davis, Caleb Gray, RussellÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Elijah Hankins and Kyle Mokas, RacelandÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Kadin Shore, AshlandÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Brady Marushi, the VikingsÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ Ben DeHart, Jayson Ingles and Will Richardson, East CarterÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Colton McGuire, Morgan CountyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Parker Trusty and Fleming CountyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Preston Cropper and Tyler Dells.
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BOYD CO. 00(11) 02 ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” 13 10 3
Rose, Havens (3), Norden (3), Bloomfield (3), Madden (4) and Lykins; Slater, Adams (4), Biggs (4) and Gray. Hitting leaders: BC ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” Slater 3-3, 2 2B, 2 RBI; K. Kelley 2-4; Davis 2 RBI; B. Jones 2 RBI.
IRONTON 4, MINFORD 0: Ian Ginger faced only one batter over the minimum Saturday in leading the Fighting Tigers over Minford in the Division V, Region 20, Southeast 3 district championship high school baseball game at Ohio UniversityÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Bob Wren Stadium.
Ironton won its first district title since 2003.
Ginger saw 22 batters, striking out six and walking one to send the Fighting Tigers (18-3) to the regional semifinals against Lancaster Fairfield Christian (18-8) at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Mason High School. St. Paris Graham (21-10) and Miami Valley Christian (22-5) meet in the other semifinal.
The Tigers scored twice in the second inning. Carter Bridges hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Jacob Hughes. Carson Freeman knocked in Braydon Baker.
Ironton added two runs in the sixth when Tanner Kleinman singled home Ginger and Hughes.
Kleinman went 2 for 3 with a pair of runs batted in. Minford (10-10) had two hits, but both players were thrown out on the base paths.
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IRONTON 020 002 x ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” 4 6 0
Bradley and Matiz; Ginger and Hughes.
Hitting: (I) Kleinman 2-3 2 RBIs.
GREEN 5, WHITEOAK 4: The Bobcats improved to 5-0 in extra-inning games this season, and the latest victory was the biggest.
Blake Smith singled in Riddick Jenkins in the bottom of the eighth inning to give Green (18-5) a triumph in the Division VII, Region 27, Southeast 1 championship tilt at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.
The district title is the BobcatsÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ first since 2011 and sends them to the region semifinals against Newark Catholic (19-9) at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Ohio University. South Webster (20-8) and Strasburg-Franklin (16-14) play at 3 p.m. in the other semifinal.
Green led 3-2 in the seventh, but Jonah Michael doubled in two runs to give the Wildcats the lead. The Bobcats tied it when Jonathan Knapp singled to score Gabe Blevins.
Knapp finished 2 for 4 with three RBIs. Smith and Blevins each went 2 for 4. Kase McIntyre earned the win in relief.
For Whiteoak, Michael knocked in two runs. Zander Roades, Christian Hite and Jacen Applegate all went 2 for 4.
Softball
ROWAN COUNTY 5, ASHLAND 4: Ryleigh Howard hit the first home run of her career with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning in the 16th Region tournament final to lift the Vikings on Saturday in Morehead, Kentucky.
Brookelyn Duckwyler doubled, tripled and drove in two runs for the Kittens (19-14).
Lauryn Eastham supplied two RBIs for Rowan County (28-5). She hit a two-run game-tying single in the seventh with the Vikings down to their final strike.
Rowan County was one strike away from defeat on three occasions in the seventh, The Daily Independent reported, before winning it in the eighth.
Vikings pitcher Kassi Perkins got the decision in a tournament MVP showing.
The Vikings advance to meet 12th Region champion Boyle County in the first round of the state tournament.
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ROWAN CO. 000 101 21 ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” 5 6 1
Laine and Duckwyler; Perkins and Eastham. Hitting leaders: A ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” Duckwyler 2B, 3B; RC ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” Howard HR, Eastham 2B.
PORTSMOUTH NOTRE DAME 7, SYMMES VALLEY 0: Ava Rush pitched a five-hit shutout, striking out 11, to lift the Titans (25-3) over the Vikings (27-3) in the Division VII, Region 25 championship game in Groveport, Ohio.
The Titans advance to the state semifinals against Covington (22-9) at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Firestone Stadium in Akron. Monroeville (26-3) and Sycamore Mohawk (24-5) face off at 3 p.m. in the other semifinal.
Notre Dame scored all the runs it needed in the first inning when Lyndsey Schaefer singled in Maddie Entler and Alayla Soard. In the second, EntlerÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s base hit drove in Bella Rush. An inning later, Kate Entler hit a home run to make it 4-0. Kennedy Lyon smacked a two-run single in the fifth. Maycee Ford set the score in the sixth with a sacrifice fly to plate Kate Entler.
Rush was the winning pitcher, allowing five hits, fanning 11 and walking two. She also was 2 for 2.
Emma Ridenour, Symmes ValleyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s lone senior, went 2 for 4.
WHEELERSBURG 7, WELLSTON 1: The Pirates (26-0) are headed to the state tournament for the fourth time in five years after beating the Rockets in the Division V, Region 18 championship game at Ohio University in Athens.
Kaylyn Carter hurled a complete game and went 2 for 4. Laken Wright hit a three-run homer.
Wheelersburg, which won state titles in 2022 and 2023, is scheduled to play Oak Harbor (24-6) at 12:30 p.m. Thursday in the semifinals at Firestone Stadium in Akron. Springfield Shawnee (25-4) and Baltimore Liberty Union (28-1) meet at 1 p.m. Thursday in the other semifinal. The title game is slated for 8 p.m. Friday.
