By Evan Merrill
NKyTribune contributor
LEXINGTON — After giving up two runs on three hits in the first inning, Simon Kenton junior pitcher Bailey Martin buckled down and went the distance to post a 3-2 win over Muhlenberg County in the quarterfinal round of the state baseball tournament on Saturday afternoon at Whitaker Bank Park.
The Pioneers scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning to take the lead and Martin held his own in a pitchers’ duel over the last six innings to put his team in the state semifinals.
“Bailey’s the littlest guy we got, but he’s the toughest guy we got,” said Simon Kenton coach Troy Roberts. “You can tell by watching him pitch he’s not cocky, he’s just confident. He’s confident in what he does when he’s on the mound. Our guys know that and we feed off that.”
Muhlenberg County (28-10) got to Martin early with two runs in the first inning. The Pioneers minimized the damage by tagging out Muhlenberg hitter Nick Casey after he overran second base on a run-scoring double.
In the bottom of the first inning, Simon Kenton (26-15) scored three runs with two outs. Singles by Martin and Zane Fuqua drove in the first two runs and Joey Ponder crushed a ground-rule double to give the Pioneers a 3-2 lead.
“I don’t know what it is,” coach Roberts said of his team’s tendency to score runs with two outs. “I guess it goes back to the no-quit factor. They just don’t give up when we have two outs.”
The Pioneers loaded the bases courtesy of two bunt singles with none out in the third. But Muhlenberg junior pitcher Camden Carver managed to get out of the jam, leaving three runners stranded. Carver’s day ended in the fourth with runners on first and second base. He was replaced by sophomore Carson McKinney, who allowed only one hit over the remaining three innings.
Bailey continued to cruise with the help of solid fielding on defense, including a spectacular diving catch by senior outfielder Brayden Trattles.
“They want to make the play,” Roberts said. “A lot of kids in high school want the ball hit somewhere else in a high-stress situation. Our guys don’t like that. They want it.”
In the sixth inning, Muhlenberg had runners on the corners with two outs when senior Jacob Whitmer flied out to end the inning. Martin retired the bottom three players in the Mustangs’ batting order in the seventh inning to wrap up the victory.
“The best feeling in the world,” Martin said of closing the game with a ground out and two strikeouts. “Those bottom three hitters, I had their numbers and I had to go at them.”
Martin gave up six hits and had five strikeouts in the victory that extended the Pioneers’ winning streak to nine games. He and senior left-hander Mitchell Kreidenweis, the winning pitcher in Thursday’s first-round game, will both be eligible to start the semifinal game against Marion County (20-6) at 11 a.m. Friday at Whitaker Bank Park.
If the Pioneers win Friday’s game, they’ll play in the state championship final for the second time in four years. Louisville St. Xavier beat Simon Kenton, 5-2, in the 2014 title game.
MUHLENBERG CO. 200 000 0 — 2 6 0
SIMON KENTON 300 000 x — 3 9 1
WP – Martin (7-2). LP – Carver (2-1). HITTING LEADERS: SK — Martin 3-3, RBI. Fuqua 2-2; Ponder 2B. MC – Walker 2-3; Casey 2B, Walker 2B. RECORDS: Simon Kenton 26-15, Muhlenberg County 28-10.