Missed Chances Costly in Colonels’ State Tourney Loss to St. X

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In a game that was much closer than the final score would indicate, the Christian County Colonels saw their season come to an end on Friday with an 8-0 loss to St. Xavier at the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Baseball State Tournament presented by UK HealthCare.

The Colonels were only outhit 8-7 and had runners in scoring position with less than two outs three times, but were unable to push a run across.  They end the season at 29-8, matching the win total from 2006 for the most since a 37-6 mark in a state runner-up season in 2005.

Christian County starting pitcher Elijah Underhill got off to a rocky start when St. X loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the 1st.  Three consecutive RBI singles pushed four runs across before Underhill settled down and struck out three straight to get out of the inning.

The Colonels answered with singles from Carter Sholar and Hayden Hunt with one out in the 2nd, but a double play ended the threat.

St. X added to the lead in the 4th when Jacob Bennett just missed a grand slam on a shot to center field, scoring two runs after runners tagged up.  Another run came home on a passed ball before Underhill ended the inning with his seventh strikeout.

Hayden Hunt drew a walk and Jacob Jenkins followed with a single to put the Colonels in business in the top of the 5th.  Bobby Irving added a single to load the bases with only one out, but a strikeout and a groundout again left Christian County wondering what might have been.

Another double play denied the Colonels in the 6th after Josh Snorton walked and Brylle Javier singled.  They would only have one baserunner the rest of the way.

After Sholar took over on the mound in the 5th for the Colonels, St. X added the final run on an RBI double by Bennett in the bottom of the 6th.

St. X’s Benjamin Tedesco earned the win, scattering six hits with a walk and five strikeouts over four and a third innings.  Ben Purnell finished the game on the mound, yielding a hit with two walks and a strikeout.

The Tigers improve to 36-5 and advance to face Central Hardin in the quarterfinals on Saturday at Kentucky Proud Park.

Underhill took the loss after giving up six earned runs on six hits with three walks.  Sholar allowed an earned run on two hits over two frames.

The Colonels look well-positioned to be back in the thick of things in the 2nd Region next year.  Of the nine players that started on Friday, five were underclassmen, including two eighth-graders, and two more were juniors.  Three starters graduate, including left-fielder Snorton and right-fielder Lane Gamble.

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