MOUNT WASHINGTON – For the second time in as many weeks, a big inning was enough to propel the Bullitt East Chargers to a win over an intracounty rival.
After defeating Bullitt Central, the Chargers set their sights on the North Bullitt Eagles this past Saturday.
On a day in which the 2003 regional championship team was honored, Bullitt East scored three runs in the second inning en route to a 4-1 victory over the Eagles.
Kendall Henson better as the day went on to earn the victory, allowing just two hits and only an unearned run.
About the only thing that went bad on Saturday was a hole in the net, which allowed North Bullitt’s lone run for the day in the first inning.
With two outs, Eagle Dylan Hornback reached base on an error. A walk to Luke Deitchman was followed by a wild pitch, which led to a lengthy discussion between the umpires and managers Jeff Bowles and Brian Wise.
When the wild pitch was delivered, it went to the backstop and the ball left the playing surface through a hole in the protective netting.
After a discussion with Wise, Hornback was awarded home. That brought Bowles to join in the conversation. Then the umpires went back to Wise and finished up with a talk with Bowles.
The end result was the umpires stood by their call and North Bullitt took its only lead of the game at 1-0 as Hunter Holland made a running catch of a deep blast by Brady Wooldridge to end the inning.
Bullitt East sent eight batters to the plate in the second inning.
Connor Sauss started with a single to center field and Holland was hit by a Wooldridge pitch. Cade Owen placed a sacrifice bunt but the throw to first was wide.
With the bases loaded, Oliver Barnhouse delivered a single to drive home two Chargers. On the throw to the plate, Owen went to third and Barnhouse took second.
Jack Willard was hit by pitch. With the bases loaded and one out, Bryce Elder singled to drive home the third Charger but Barnhouse was cut down at the plate.
The only other run came in the third inning when Devin Elder was hit by a pitch and Sauss walked. After Wooldridge hit Hunter for a second time, Wise called on Caden Dorsey to put out the rally.
Owen drew a walk to force in Elder. But Dorsey came back to strike out Barnhouse, get the runner out on a fielder’s choice from Willard and a strike out of Chase Meredith to limit the damage to just one run.
But Henson would need no help in finishing off the game.
North Bullitt threatened in the fourth inning as Wooldridge led off with an infield hit. With two outs, Brayden Lueke doubled. But Hansen got a strikeout of pinch-hitter Carson Luttrell to end that threat.
Hansen would close out the game with a pair of strikeouts.
BOWLES comments……
Wise said credit needed to be given to Hansen. The hardest hit ball of the day was by Wooldridge in the first inning. If that gets by, the veteran coach said the momentum might have swung.
“You want to win every game,” said Wise. “And you want to win against your county rivals. But, I think we could see them again in the post-season.”
He said it was an uncharacteristic streak of wildness from Wooldridge, who has pitched in a lot of big games over his varsity career. But he fully expects the senior to rebound on the next time on the mound.
He was very pleased with the work of the bullpen. Both Dorsey, who has been used primarily as a starter, and Andrew Day looked good and threw strikes.
“That was a bright spot,” said Wise. “Our offense let us down today. We just couldn’t get the timely hits. But you have to credit their pitcher, too.”