By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
After a two-day rain delay, Beechwood’s baseball team extended its perfect record to 9-0 with a 4-1 win over St. Henry in the championship game of the 9th Region All “A” Classic tournament on Sunday at Meinken Field in Covington.
It was a rewarding victory in more ways than one for the Tigers. They reclaimed the region championship against the team that defeated them in last year’s title game and it was Kevin Gray’s 100th win as head coach of the Beechwood program.
Beechwood pitcher Mitchell Berger had eight strikeouts in the win over St. Henry. (Photo by Dale Dawn)
Gray now has a 100-22 record in four seasons at Beechwood. He became head coach five years ago, but the entire 2020 baseball season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Tigers will play the 10th Region champion in the sectional round of the small-school state playoffs, but their opponent has not yet been determined. Brossart advanced to the 10th Region final with a 5-1 win over Bracken County on Sunday. The other semifinal game between Augusta and Nicholas County has not been rescheduled.
The sectional winner will advance to the Kentucky All “A” Classic eight-team state tournament that’s set for April 30 and May 1 at Eastern Kentucky University. Beechwood has won the small-school state baseball championship five times — 2006, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019.
Beechwood’s winning pitcher in Sunday’s 9th Region championship game was Mitchell Berger, who is now 3-0 on the mound. The junior right-hander went five innings, giving up one run on two hits with seven strikeouts and four walks.
The Tigers took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning. That’s when senior third baseman Jackson
Roseburrough stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and ripped a double off St. Henry pitcher Nick Browning that drove in all three runs.
Beechwood senior Tanner Jackson snags a throw to first base. (Photo by Dale Dawn)
St. Henry got its lone run off Berger in the bottom of the third on a single by senior outfielder Eli Meiman. Beechwood made it 4-1 on a double by junior second baseman Sam Cottengim in the top of the fifth.
Sophomore reliever Torin O’Shea pitched the final two innings for Beechwood without allowing a run to pick up the save. He gave up a single in the seventh inning, but left the runner stranded.
The Tigers had eight hits and drew eight walks. Roseburrough and junior shortstop Ben Meier each had two hits. Berger had a double and a stolen base.
All three of St. Henry’s hits were singles by Meiman, Reid Ravenscraft and Luke Mason. The Crusaders’ record dropped to 8-3-1, which includes an earlier 11-1 loss to Beechwood on March 30.
Walton-Verona is scheduled to play Eminence in the first round of the 8th Region All “A” Classic on Monday. Last year, Walton-Verona won the region championship and made it to the final game of the small-school state tournament before losing to Owensboro Catholic.
BEECHWOOD 003 010 0 — 4 8 2
ST. HENRY 001 000 0 — 1 3 0
WP — Berger (8Ks). LP — Browning. HITTING LEADERS: B — Roseburrough 2-3, 2B, 3 RBI; Meier 2-3; Berger 2B, Cottengim 2B. RECORDS — Beechwood 9-0, St. Henry 8-3-1.
