‘We’re just on a roll.’ Lafayette wins battle of top-10 teams for 11th Region title.
Lafayette had a simple formula for success in the 11th Region high school baseball tournament this week: three games, three pitchers, three wins.
On Saturday, Josh Guilfoil threw a no-hitter against Madison Southern. On Sunday, Conner Arnold was staked to a big lead early and struck out seven in topping Sayre.
Then Monday, Micah Cowen allowed just four hits and two walks in No. 9 Lafayette’s 8-1 win against No. 7 Madison Central in the championship game at Lexington Catholic High School.
And as good as Lafayette’s pitching has been in the postseason, its offense has shown its prowess as well, outscoring opponents 49-8.
“We’re just on a roll,” Cowen said after accepting tournament MVP honors and celebrating the region title with his team. “The bats are hot and we’re ready to head on to the next round.”
The win marked the school’s first baseball region title since 2004. It had won five of the last six 43rd District titles only to fall at the regional tournament prior to this year. And, of course, last year, due to the pandemic there were no spring sports at all when Lafayette Coach Chris Langston thought he had one of his best teams since his 2004 his state finalists.
“We had 12 seniors. I thought we were going to do it last year. So, it meant a lot to see them (his former players) all in the stands watching tonight knowing what these guys did for them,” Langston said, his voice cracking with emotion.
Cowen acknowledged the class of 2020 as well.
“We would have had a great run last year with a great group of guys, so it’s great to see them come out and support us in our run this year,” Cowen said.
The alumni had plenty to cheer.
Lafayette answers homer with homer
After Louisville commit Brandon Anderson put Madison Central up 1-0 on a solo home run to right-center field in the first inning, Lafayette’s Jack Harris answered with an opposite-field blast to tie the game at 1-1 in the second.
”That was the same situation we were in against LCA. We get down early. And either you lay down or you come back,” Harris said. “I knew we were going to come back. Just to get that home run on the board quick, man, meant a lot. It got our momentum flowing and then we just took off from there.”
As Cowen settled into a pitching groove, his teammates began to find success against Madison Central starter Matthew Johns on their second time through the order. Ethan Tuttle singled and came all the way home on a double by Mason Pittman in the third inning to put Lafayette up 2-1.
“It was a huge moment,” Pittman said. “He hung a curveball earlier in the at-bat, and I saw it again and I took it to left-center. It was great for the team and gave us a momentum boost.”
Cowen frustrated the Indians the rest of the way as they stranded runners in second, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. He struck out seven and walked two.
“They hit some balls hard. And you just scratch and go to the next batter and compete on the mound,” Cowen said. “Our defense played well. We got a lot of ground balls and pop-ups and that’s the goal every time you go out — pitch to contact.”
Madison Central pitching woes
Madison Central’s Matt Johns had success against Lafayette in the Indians’ 9-3 win earlier in the season, but he ran into trouble in the fifth inning Monday after hitting his counterpart on the mound with a pitch for a second time in the game. Cowen is also Lafayette’s leading hitter.
“You always want to go up there to hit, but you trust the guys behind you in the lineup,” Cowen said.
Ben Prather followed with a single. Jack Harris looped a high fly ball into no-man’s land down the right field line to load the bases. When Carter Owen walked to push across a run for a 3-1 lead, Madison Central pulled Johns from the game.
The first pitch from reliever John Girard went into left field off the bat of Owen Jenkins, scoring another, but the Indians cut down Harris trying to score in a play at the plate. Still, Lafayette led 4-1 by inning’s end.
Madison Central (31-9) went to three different pitchers as patient Lafayette hitters took three consecutive walks to start the sixth and got a pair of two-run singles from Prather and Harris to break the game open.
“Hats off. They were the better team today,” Madison Central Coach Steve Roof said. “That’s a tough offense to keep off the board. They just keep coming at you. I was really proud of our pitchers, really, the whole tournament. They kept us in it, and we just came up a little short.”
Next up, state
Ranked No. 9 by Prep Baseball Report, Lafayette (33-7) will be among the favorites competing for a state title when the KHSAA State Baseball Tournament begins with its semi-state rounds this weekend. The Generals will face the winners of the 10th Region at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the University of Kentucky’s Kentucky Proud Park.
That leaves a few days to celebrate winning one of the toughest baseball regions in the state.
“I’m so proud of these guys. They’ve done everything we’ve asked of them,” Langston said after the game and just before getting drenched by a five-gallon cooler full of water by his team. “They made sure they played for their teammates. They weren’t worried about stats and individual success and you saw that tonight. One of the things we’ve been talking about is ‘no superheroes needed.’ We didn’t need anybody to do something special. We just needed them to do their jobs.
“Well look what happens: We’re going to the Sweet 16, baby!”
