By Matthew Dietz
NKyTribune sports reporter
The Covington Catholic Colonels got a gem of a pitching performance from senior Ashton Isler on Sunday, defeating the Ryle Raiders, 4-0, in the 9th Region baseball semifinals at UC Health Stadium.
Isler kept the Raiders off balance throughout the afternoon, firing a complete game shutout with just four hits allowed. Isler struck out just one batter, but he was able to induce frequent soft contact and allow an impressive CovCath defense to help him out.
“Ice (Isler) mixes it up,” CovCath coach Bill Krumpelbeck said. “He hasn’t lost a game all year, so he’s been doing it every game.”
In the other 9th Region semifinal game on Sunday, Beechwood defeated Conner, 10-0, in five innings behind a solid pitching performance by Drew Fieger. The senior allowed only three hits, all singles, and had six strikeouts in the victory that lifted his season record to 7-0 on the mound.
This is the first time since 2009 that Beechwood and CovCath will face each other in the 9th Region final. Beechwood won the 2019 region championship, but CovCath hasn’t taken the title since 2005.
The Colonels’ only loss to an in-state opponent this season was to Beechwood in the 35th District championship game with the Tigers claiming an 8-4 victory.
“They just beat us last time out, so we got our work cut out for us,” Krumpelbeck said. “They’re really good. We’ll see what we can do.”
The Colonels were able to give Isler some early run support in their semifinal win over Ryle. In the top of the first, Jaden Siemer took a hit-by-pitch with one out, advanced on a hard-hit single by senior Pete Williams and came around to score when a rocket off the bat of Tyler Hutson was misplayed by Ryle first baseman Jackson McGinnis.
Ryle pitcher Jacob Stone retired the next five batters, including a trio of strikeouts, but trouble brewed once again in the top of the third inning. After Siemer reached first on a one-out fielder’s choice, Williams delivered again with a screaming double down the left-field line. Hutson and senior Owen Nally then roped run-scoring singles into right field that extended the lead to 3-0.
For Isler, who entered play on Sunday with a 1.63 ERA in 30.0 innings, three runs proved to be more than enough, although the right-hander needed some help from the teammates behind him.
In the bottom of the third, Siemer made a diving catch on a fly ball into the left-center gap off the bat of Ryle leadoff hitter Nathan Reed.
Two pitches later, CovCath shortstop Jacob Danneman fielded a chopper on the left side of the infield and fired the ball to first in time to nab Ryle batter Landon Sawyer with an excellent scoop by first baseman Owen Nally.
Isler ran into trouble in the bottom of the fifth when the Raiders put runners on first and third with just one out. After attempting a pickoff throw to first, Isler was called for a balk, which would have allowed the runner on third to score.
After the four umpires reconvened behind the mound, however, the balk call was reversed and the Raiders remained scoreless. Later that inning, another tremendous catch, this one from right fielder Ethan Reardon, preserved the shutout.
In the top of the sixth, the Colonels added an insurance run, though it didn’t come without some drama. With runners on first and third, Reardon attempted a suicide squeeze but missed the attempt. That put Nally in a rundown between third and home, but he able to score when the ball rolled away from Ryle’s catcher.
Isler induced a pair of pop outs and a fly out in the sixth inning. He picked up his first and only strikeout in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the ball kicked away from the catcher, allowing the hitter to reach first. The next three batters grounded out to seal the shutout and send CovCath to its first region championship game since 2018.
For the Colonels, Williams had three hits to lead the team. Nally recorded a pair of hits, including a triple that bounced off the base of the wall in center field.
“He’s been our most consistent hitter all year long,” Krumpelbeck said of Williams, who will take a .362 batting average into Monday’s region final.
9th REGION BASEBALL AT UC HEALTH STADIUM
Saturday
Beechwood 4, St. Henry 1
Conner 4, Newport Central Catholic 3
Covington Catholic 4, Dixie Heights 3
Ryle 6, Highlands 4
Sunday
Beechwood 10, Conner 0 (5 innings)
Covington Catholic 4, Ryle 0
Monday
Championship: Covington Catholic (34-2) vs. Beechwood (30-6), 7 p.m.