Simon Kenton’s repeat bid as Eighth Region champion came to an end Tuesday night at the 8th Region baseball semifinals.
North Oldham scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to prevail for an 8-5 victory at Thomas More Stadium in Florence.
Prior to the game, the Pioneers felt disrespected when they saw the lineup card.
The Mustangs decided to not go with their No. 1 option in Ryan Sanders on the mound, electing for Gabriel Kuerzi instead. Simon Kenton took full advantage and jumped on Kuerzi for three runs in the first, forcing North Oldham’s hand and putting Sanders on the bump with just one out registered in the game.
“Completely disrespected,” Pioneers coach Brady Smiley said. “We we felt like we were a good enough team to deserve their number one, and when we saw their number two, we knew we had to take it to them. I think it worked. We told ourselves before the game, let’s see their number one by the third. We got them in the first.”
While the plan nearly backfired for the Mustangs, the North Oldham offense bailed out the decision. The Mustangs tallied 11 hits in the game and answered quickly with three runs in the first to tie things right back up.
They added runs in the second and third for a 5-4 lead as North Oldham chased Pioneers starter Caleb Uhl after 2.1 innings and seven hits allowed.
The Pioneers had to play catch up the rest of the way.
Simon Kenton battled at the plate against Sanders, who hit 91 on the radar gun in less than ideal conditions. They scratched runs across in the third and fifth innings to tie the game up at five and getting Sanders out of the equation as his day was done after the fifth at 98 pitches.
“Everybody that was in attendance could see how talented that kid is,” Smiley said. “To force him to throw that many pitches in five innings and to get him out of the game and give ourselves a chance, just proud of the fight.”
At 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth, North Oldham loaded the bases with one out. Cohen Bronke laid down a suicide squeeze to score Jackson Bowen. Gray Schmittel followed with a two-run single for the knockout blow.
As they did in the third and fifth innings, Simon Kenton battled, loading the bases and down to their final out. Mustangs reliever Brooks Cargould got Ayden Lockhart to strikeout to end the game.
It puts an end to Simon Kenton’s season at 18-11. While they came up two wins short of their goal, they have a promising 2026 season ahead as they’ll return 13 seniors and graduating five.
“No one can ever take away that the seniors were champions. I’ll always have a special place for them, they could have said he’s not coach Roberts. They helped lead and take the attitude that Coach Finn and Coach Roberts built that is Simon Kenton baseball,” Smiley said. “The juniors have improving to do, but really excited on what we have coming back.”
Logan Lawson led the Pioneers with two hits and three RBI and the lone extra-base hit with a two-run double in the first. Jacob Piper and Brett Bockmon also collected RBI. Simon Kenton was limited to six hits, but drew four walks and three hit by pitches to continuously put runners on. Cash Hoard pitched three innings of scoreless relief before running into trouble in the sixth and being charged with all three runs.
North Oldham’s 11 hits were led by Schmittel with three and three RBI. Carson White, Kaden Dickhaut and Ryan Seely also had multi-hit games with two apiece.
Sanders struck out seven in his 4.2 innings of work, allowing two hits and two runs while walking two. Cargould got the win with two innings in relief, allowing a hit, a walk and striking out four.
The Mustangs face Spencer County in Thursday’s championship back at Thomas More Stadium at 5 p.m. North Oldham’s last region title came in 2018.
Spencer County 3, Walton-Verona 2
The Bearcats emptied all their bullets.
Five outs from their first region championship appearance this century, Spencer County rallied for two runs in the sixth and left Florence with a 3-2 victory in Tuesday’s second semifinal.
Walton-Verona was that close to a first region championship appearance this century.
Trevor Bauwens two-run single in the first was trending towards being the game-winner. With Bronson Corpus on the mound for Walton-Verona, the Bearcats were confident that could be enough for their junior ace committed to Eastern Kentucky University. Corpus had just registered his 10th strikeout for one out in the sixth before trouble presented itself.
“We knew if we had a shot to beat Spencer it was with Bronson on the mound,” Bearcats coach Andrew Sien said. “We haven’t been to a region final in a long time and that was our goal and Bronson gave us an amazing chance tonight.”
A 1-2 count on Garrett Kingsolver turned into a walk, Kaiden Fowler and Talon Keen following with singles to load the bases. Noah Cropp took a 3-2 pitch to right field, deep enough to score Braxton Ramsey. Problem was on the relay throw home, Kainan Held’s throw sailed into the Bears dugout, allowing go-ahead runner Kaiden Fowler to home plate. Suddenly what was five outs away turned into a 3-2 deficit with one swing of the bat.
“It’s a goofy game. You look up and you’re up 2-1 with two hits,” Sien said. “Super proud of our guys. Just a battle group all year.”
Drawing two hit by pitches in the bottom of the sixth was the Bearcats best chance to answer back, but a strikeout by Bears’ Baylor Hair ended the frame. Hair never allowed a hit after the first and retired 14 of the final 16 hitters he faced, keeping them at bay with his wide difference in velocity from his fastball to breaking ball stuff.
“Just could not find a hole. Had a few balls we hit on a screw tonight and could not just find a hole,” Sien said.
The loss ends Walton-Verona’s season at 20-15 as they graduate five seniors, but do return a promising junior class headed by Corpus.
“Big junior group,” Sien said. “Last regional championship was 1993 and this is a community that loves baseball. Hope to be right back here turning some heads.”
MUSTANGS 8, PIONEERS 5
SIMON KENTON — 301-010-0 — 5-6-1
NORTH OLDHAM — 311-003-x — 8-11-1
2B — (SK) Logan Lawson (NO) Cargould, Schmittel
RBI — (SK) Logan Lawson 3, Piper, Bockmon (NO) Sanders, Schmittel, Seely, Roberts
R — (SK) Ruete 2, Piper 2, Uhl (NO) Cargould 2, White, Schmittel, Dickhaus
WP — Cargould. LP — Hoard.
Records: Simon Kenton 18-11, North Oldham 19-15
BEARS 3, BEARCATS 2
SPENCER COUNTY — 100-002-0 — 3-6-1
WALTON-VERONA — 200-000-0 — 2-2-1
2B — (SC) Walters
RBI — (SC) Walters, Cropp (WV) Bauwens 2
R — (SC) Dockery, Fowler, Unknown (WV) Kerns, Held
WP — Hair. LP — Corpus.
Records: Spencer County 26-8, Walton-Verona 20-15
