Champions are teams that find a way to win a game after having their backs firmly pressed against the wall. Saturday evening, the defending 2nd Region champion Christian County Colonels found themselves against that wall early in the 2nd Region quarterfinals.
The Colonels overcame a six-run deficit just an inning and a half into their game against Union County to advance to the 2nd Region baseball semifinals with an 11-7 win over the Braves at Christian County High School.
The game got off to about as bad a start as it could for the Colonels. In the top of the first, the first three Brave hitters singled to load the bases. A sac fly from Isaac Phillips scored the first run of the game. Waylon Wheatly came up with a two-out single to make it 2-0 Union County.
The Braves got things rolling along again in the top of the second. The first five batters all reached base safely for Union County. Landon Jones made it 3-0 with an RBI single. The lead grew to 4-0 when Cannon Sheffer came up with an infield single. A bases-loaded walk and a hit batter added two more runs for the Braves, and the Colonels looked to be in deep trouble trailing 6-0 after just an inning and a half.
But, as they have shown over the last couple of seasons, the Colonels are quite capable of making significant comebacks. Preston Phan began the bottom of the second reaching base on an error. Singles by Brylle Javier and Bobby Irving loaded the bases. Blake Boehman walked to drive in the first run of the game for the Colonels and make it 6-1. Another walk to Jacob Jenkins made it 6-2.
Elijah Underhill drove in a run with a single to center. Carter Sholar grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Boehman and the lead had been cut to 6-4 after two innings.
After a quiet third inning for both teams, the Braves struck again in the top of the fourth. Brock Cullen connected for a one-out triple and then later scored on a passed ball to move Union County’s lead out to 7-4. Then came the bottom half of the inning, and the whole flow of the game shifted.
With one out in the bottom of the fourth, the Colonels loaded the bases on a walk and back-to-back singles from Jacob Jenkins and Elijah Underhill. Aiden Lewis singled to drive in both Jenkins and Underhill. After a hit batter, Preston Phan doubled two runs in to give Christian County the lead for the first time.
Brylle Javier then drove in Gage Montes with a ground out to first. And, after trailing by as many as six early, the Colonels now had a 9-7 lead over the Braves.
After Eddie Davis set the Braves down in order in the top of the fifth, the Colonels added some insurance when Elijah Underhill hit a two-run moon shot to left-center field that sailed well beyond the fence, extending the lead to 11-7.
Davis then closed out the win by shutting out the Braves over the final two innings as the Colonels survived and advanced.
Elijah Underhill was big for the Colonels at the plate, going 4-4 with a home run, a double, three RBIs, and two runs scored. Preston Phan was 2-4 with a double, two RBIs, and a run scored. Aiden Lewis finished the night 1-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.
On the mound, Eddie Davis picked up the win in relief, going five innings, giving up one unearned run on five hits, striking out one, and walking none.
The Colonels improve to 24-11 on the season and will take on Madisonville-North Hopkins in Monday night’s semifinals.
