Dixie Heights is headed to their first region championship game since 2013 and a chance to claim their first region title since 2001 with a 7-2 victory over Conner.
Looking at the numbers and not seeing the final score, one would expect it to be a much closer game than what it was. Conner outhit Dixie 10-9 and turned three double plays.
But a Colonels four-run first inning that was assisted by a couple of Conner errors propelled Dixie to the title game. Dixie was relentless on the basepaths, stealing four bases and forcing the Cougars hand in the field by doing everything they could to take the next base, including a double steal of home.
“I like to get a little more aggressive come postseason,” Colonels coach Chris Maxwell said. “Don’t show a whole lot during the season. Knew we could do the double steal and told the kids this is what we’re going to do.”
Dixie’s offense hasn’t necessarily barreled up every ball in their 27 hits the first two games of the tournament, but they’ve found places in a bigger than normal high school ballpark to make it work. Monday it was 18 hits in a 12-2 victory over Newport Central Catholic, Wednesday it was nine hits, six of them coming in the first two innings as they built a 6-1 lead.
“On a high school field those bloop hits don’t fall in,” Maxwell said. “We prepared for it, this is where we have to play in the postseason.”
Kyle Flynn did enough from there, scattering 10 hits and allowing two earned runs for the victory. He walked two and struck out five.
“He wasn’t as sharp as he’s been this year, that wasn’t his best game. But he’s a sophomore and was probably nervous. He did a great job and got the win,” Maxwell said. “He lets his fielders do the work, let them put the ball in play and see what we can do with it. We have a heck of an infield.”
While Conner turned three double plays, Dixie’s defense was sharp, aided by shortstop Sean Mitchell, finishing with six putouts in the game.
Trailing 6-1, the Cougars had their opportunities to scratch back in this one. They left eight runners on base and in a fourth inning where they recorded a triple, double and a single, put one across the board in the frame.
“What really stinks about it is we outhit them,” Cougars coach Mike Hart said. “We settled in there after the first inning a little bit, it just wasn’t enough. You can’t play an experienced good team like that and spot them four right out of the gate. We had a chance for a couple of big innings, just didn’t work out for us.”
The loss ends Conner’s season at 16-24 under first-year coach Mike Hart as they’ve made back-to-back region semifinals still in search for their first region title since 2014.
“It was an honor to coach them all, especially the seniors coming in with a new staff,” Hart said. “I coached them when they were freshman when I was the freshman coach, but it’s different now. Took time to get used to me and get that relationship back, but they bought in and fought. Didn’t think anybody thought we’d be in the position we’d be in based off our record, but this is definitely a good building block.”
The Cougars graduate nine seniors.
With Dixie Heights having graduation on Thursday, each team in the field agreed to move the region title game from Thursday to Saturday at 11 a.m. if the Colonels were in it.
Here they are, Maxwell in search o f his fourth region title in 41 years.
“You hit 70 and all of the sudden your step isn’t as bouncy as it used to be,” Maxwell said. “This is a great group of kids, a bunch of seniors and they keep you going.”
DIXIE HEIGHTS 7, CONNER 2
CONNER — 010-100-0 — 2-10-2
DIXIE — 420-010-x — 7-9-2
2B — (DH) Steczynski (C) Wichmann
3B — (C) Webster
WP — Flynn. LP — Bushman.
Records: Dixie Heights 26-14, Conner 16-24