By Michael Murphy
NKyTribune reporter
For the majority of his high school baseball career, Beechwood senior left fielder Devin Johnson has played in the shadows of Tiger teammates Logan Castleman and John Odom.
Johnson, who mostly shies away from attention and the limelight, prefers it that way. Unfortunately for him, those days are over.
Beechwood’s Devin Johnson connects for one of two home runs that helped lead the Tiger’s to the 9th Region title at UC Health Stadium in Florence (photos by Dale Dawn)
Beechwood (37-1), led by two monster home runs and five runs batted in by the red-hot Johnson, defeated Highlands (29-10), 12-9, on Tuesday night at UC Health Stadium to capture the programs’s fourth 9th Region Title and its first since 2009.
The win by the Tigers ends a streak of four consecutive 9th Region Titles won by Highlands.
The Tigers also captured 9th Region Titles in 2004 and 2006.
“I can’t explain how happy I am for these kids and this coaching staff who have worked so hard to get back here,” said second year Beechwood coach Kevin Gray. “I told our kids we could do this together for 50 more years and we’ll never have another team or season like this. It’s a special group.”
With the win, Beechwood will advance to Saturday’s Semi-State playoff round where they will face Montgomery County (28-6), who defeated Campbell County, 11-1, on Saturday to capture the 10th Region Championship. That game will be played at the University of Kentucky’s Proud Park at 4 p.m.
The Tigers scored in the first inning with two outs when senior designated hitter Ayden Hutton looped a single into right-center field that fell in between three Highlands fielders. The next batter was Johnson, who crushed a 3-2 fastball from Highlands senior ace Grady Cramer over the left center field fence for his fifth home run of the season to give the Tigers an early 2-0 lead.
“I wanted to make something happen,” said Johnson, who was named MVP of the 2019 9th Region Tournament. “It was a 3-2 count and I knew I had to put it into play. I just threw my hands at it and hoped I’d do something. They just made a mistake and I capitalized on it.”
Highlands, which came into the game on a six game winning streak and having won 10 of their last 11 games, struggled early against Beechwood freshman starting pitcher Brett Holladay.
The crafty Holladay (7-0) came into the game with an unblemished record that included crucial victories this season against Kentucky Country Day in the Kentucky All A Classic Championship game and Covington Catholic in the 35th District Championship Game.
Holladay cruised through the first three innings, allowing only a third inning sacrifice fly by Highlands senior catcher Bryce Ziegler. But the Bluebirds were able to take a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when junior shortstop Ethan Kavanagh looped a double into short center-field between three Beechwood fielders.
The Tigers, whose only loss of the season was a 7-5 heartbreaker to Highlands on April 26 in the Reds Future Showcase at Great American Ballpark, answered in the top of the fifth. After Castleman and Hutton both reached on Bluebirds’ errors, Johnson once again drove a Cramer fastball over the left-center field fence to give the Tigers a 5-3 lead.
“Devin just steps up in big games,” said Gray, who was named 9th Region Coach of the Year last week. “Every single time we need a big hit, he’s the guy we want up at the plate.”
Highlands answered in the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back run scoring singles by senior first baseman Trey Gabbard and junior outfield Mason Schwalbach to tie the score 5-5.
However, Beechwood, one of the top run-scoring teams in the state of Kentucky, exploded for seven runs in the final two innings to take a seemingly secure 12-5 lead.
“Castleman and Odom have carried us in so many games this season,” said Gray. “But today, Devin Johnson, Clay Trusty, and Ayden Hutton carried us. It gets contagious. It was just a total team effort.”
The always fiercely competitive Bluebirds made it interesting in their final at bat in the seventh inning as they added four runs on a bases-loaded walk to Kavanagh and a three run double by senior center fielder Cooper Schwalbach.
Beechwood sophomore reliever Jack Flaherty, however, induced senior designated hitter Trent Johnson to ground out to junior third baseman Jackson Noll to end the game.
“Everyone was going crazy like we had already won,” said Gray. “I knew they weren’t going down without a fight. They’re four time champs coached by one of the best in the state. There may never be a team to win four titles in a row again. This is their sixth straight finals. They set the standard high.”
Highlands Ethan Kavanagh is tagged at the plate by Beechwood’s Clay Trusty in Tuesday’s 9th Region title game won by the Tigers.
Box Score:
Beechwood 200 034 3 12-13-1
Highlands 001 220 4 9-11-4
WP – Hutton (6-0) LP – Cramer (8-3)
HITTING LEADERS – B: Johnson 2-4, 2 HR (6), 5 RBI; Doverspike 3-4 RBI; Castleman 2-4, 3B, 2 RBI; Hutton 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI; Trusty 3-3, 2B; Odom 2-5. H – Kavanagh 2-3, 2B, 3 RBI; C. Schwalbach 2-5, 2B, 3 RBI; Gabbard 2-3, RBI; Johnson 2B; Cramer 2B
RECORDS: Beechwood 37-1. Highlands 29-10
The Tigers, currently ranked second in the state of Kentucky in the most recent Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association Poll, are considered one of the favorites to make a run at a state title.
The Tigers have already won one state title this year, capturing the Kentucky All A Classic title in April.
“It’s always going to be tough for a small school like us playing the big schools downstate”, said Gray. “But with the way we swing the bats and play defense, I’d never say never.”
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