By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
After two of his teammates went the distance in their 9th Region tournament pitching victories earlier this week, Beechwood senior pitcher Sawyer Carlisle wanted to do the same in the championship final on Thursday at Thomas More Stadium.
“Yes sir, exactly, I’ve got to fit in,” Carlisle said with a sly smile after he went seven innings in a 4-0 win against Ryle to complete an impressive trifecta for the Tigers’ mound crew.
Carlisle had nine strikeouts and one walk while giving up just five hits in his shutout victory. Beechwood’s other two winning pitchers this week gave up just one run in each of their games.
“We talked about it since the beginning of the tournament, if everything went as planned I’d probably be (pitching) in the championship game,” Carlisle said. “But it’s really kudos to the guys before me, Paul Stephenson and Caleb Arrasmith, going full games. That put us in position so I could start this game and get us through it.”
Beechwood (32-9) will play 12th Region West Jessamine (20-19) in the first round of the state tournament at 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Legends Field in Lexington.
In the last six state tournaments, 9th Region teams have compiled a 3-6 record with none of them making it past the quarterfinal round. The Tigers went 2-4 during that six-year run.
In the first three innings of the region final, Beechwood only got one hit off Ryle starting pitcher AJ Davis. But the Tigers broke the scoreless tie in the fourth when senior Brooks Becker came home on a sacrifice fly by senior Zack True.
Ryle’s best chance to score came in the fifth inning that began with back-to-back singles by Broddick Parr and Abram Pabst.
A sacrifice fly moved Broddick to third base, but he didn’t score on a bunt and then Brady Irwin hit a line drive directly to Beechwood first baseman Hudson Edwards to end the inning.
“Through out the season we were able to break through in some of those (scoring situations) and we didn’t do it tonight,” said Ryle coach Joe Aylor. “At this stage of the game, you’re not going to do that very often.”
In the bottom of the fifth, Beechwood had one runner score on a wild pitch and before Carlisle delivered a run-scoring single to make it 3-0. The Tigers picked up another run in the sixth on a single by True.
“We’ve had these kinds of games before,” Carlisle said of the lack of run support he got in the first three innings. “I knew if I keep doing my job our guys are going to get it done. And me being a hitter, I had to contribute there as well.”
Carlisle was named most valuable player for his pitching performance in the championship game. Beechwood coach Kevin Gray put the Tigers’ other two winning pitchers on the all-tournament team as well.
“I’m very fortunate to coach really good kids,” Gray said. “I can’t say enough good things about this group. It’s just unbelievable.”
RYLE 000 000 0 — 0 5 1
BEECHWOOD 000 121 x — 4 8 0
WP — Sawyer Carlisle (9 Ks). LP — AJ Davis.
HITTING LEADERS: B — Caleb Arrasmith 2-3, True 2 RBI.
RECORDS: Ryle 25-15. Beechwood 32-9.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Beechwood — Sawyer Carlisle (MVP), Paul Stephenson, Caleb Arrasmith, Zach True. Ryle — Michael Flowers, Nic Carter, Xaden Hughes. Dixie Heights — Kyle Flynn, Will Steczynski. Conner — Brady Busman, Everett Hall. CovCath — Michael Bryson. NewCath — Max Meyer. Highlands — Kai Anderson. St. Henry — Landon Schuler.