By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Jackson Roseburrough, one of four seniors in the Beechwood baseball team’s starting lineup, kept their final season going in the opening round of the state tournament on Thursday at the University of Kentucky.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Roseburrough’s line drive single to left field scored the winning run in Beechwood’s 7-6 victory over Owensboro Catholic. The Tigers (29-6) advance to the quarterfinals and play Russell County (29-6) at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Beechwood senior Jackson Roseburrough
Beechwood took a 6-3 lead on a double by senior Tanner Jackson in the bottom of the fifth inning, but Owensboro Catholic scored three runs with two outs in the top of the sixth to tie it.
Owensboro Catholic relief pitcher Luke Scales retired the Tigers in order over the next two innings, but the Aces weren’t able to get a hit off Beechwood reliever Torin O’Shea in the seventh and eighth innings.
In the bottom of the eighth, Beechwood junior Ben Meier led off with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Scales. After senior Sam Cottengim drew a walk, Roseburrough drilled a single over the shortstop’s head and Meier raced home to score the winning run.
Roseburrough also had a big hit in the 9th Region championship game against St. Henry on Sunday. With the Tigers down 3-1 in the top of the fourth, he belted a three-run homer off the left field foul pole to give his team a lead they would not relinquish.
Beechwood scored seven runs on nine hits in Thursday’s win. Junior catcher Brice Estep went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Roseburrough had two hits and two of his senior teammates — Jackson and Brett Holladay — each had a double.
Owensboro Catholic got six of its nine hits off Beechwood starting pitcher Mitchell Berger. He was replaced by Sam Stacy, who gave up three runs on three hits in the sixth inning. O’Shea got the win after not giving up a hit in 2.1 innings.
Campbell County (23-10) will play Johnson Central (16-21) in the state baseball tournament’s final first-round game at 8:30 p.m. Friday at UK.
Season ends for local tennis players in state tournament semifinals
Northern Kentucky high school tennis players had an 0-3 record in state semifinal matches on Thursday morning at Top Seed Tennis Club in Lexington.
Covington Latin junior Sara Watanabe, the top seed in girls singles, was upset by Louisville Sacred Heart sophomore Lilah Jane Shallcross. After each player won one set, Shallcross got past Watanabe, 10-7, in the tiebreaker.
This is the second straight year that Watanabe has lost a semifinal match in a tiebreaker.
Shallcross lost to her Sacred Heart teammate Ellie Hammond, 6-0, 7-5, in the championship final.
In the boys singles semifinals, Covington Catholic sophomore Brad Hussey lost to Lexington Henry Clay junior Evan Duggall, 6-3. 6-3. Hussey was the No. 2 seed in the bracket. Duggall, the No. 4 seed, lost a close match to top-seeded Eli Stephenson of Louisville St. Xavier, 7-6, 7-5, in the final.
CovCath doubles partners Jackson Poulos and Alex Yeager lost to top-seeded and eventual state champions Tyler Bush and Tyler Scanlon of Louisville St. Xavier, 6-4, 6-2, in the semifinals.
