Big hits and hustle help Woodford County top Boyd County in state baseball tournament
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Kentucky high school sports state championships
KHSAA state championships played out this weekend across four different sports in Lexington, and the Herald-Leader’s staff of writers and photographers covered all the action. Click below for highlights from the baseball, softball, tennis and track and field state championships.
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Accounting for half of Woodford County’s runs in Saturday morning’s 10-3 win over Boyd County in the quarterfinals of the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Baseball State Tournament presented by UK HealthCare, Brandon Rankin set the tone early with a leadoff single, a stolen base and a scamper home from third on a wild pitch.
The junior shortstop scored from first base on a triple by Bryce Patterson in the third inning. And his two-out RBI single in the fourth on an 0-2 count sparked a four-run rally that broke the game open.
“Brandon, you know, if he clicks it in, he’s really special. … He thinks sometimes he’s our four-hole hitter and I’ve got to remind him, ‘You’re our leadoff, just scratch and claw and get your way on base,’” Woodford County Coach Paul Patterson said.
Rankin had three hits and reached on an error over five plate appearances and scored four runs to go with the RBI. Consider matters scratched and clawed.
“It’s nice to have a weapon like that in the lineup that can put pressure on the defense,” Coach Patterson said.
The win advances Woodford County to its second state tournament semifinals in only its second-ever trip to high school baseball’s ultimate showcase. Its other trip worked out pretty well, too. The Yellow Jackets won the state championship in 2012.
“It’s crazy. I didn’t think we would be making it this far,” Rankin said. “We were just hoping to win regionals, and now we’re this far.”
Woodford County (26-13) lost four straight games over six days in May before reeling off seven straight wins that have included 30th District and 8th Region titles and now a spot in next weekend’s state final four.
Kentucky Proud Park’s massive outfield, an adjustment for many teams this week, played a large role again Saturday as Woodford had three triples, including Bryce Patterson’s blast over the center fielder’s head in the second inning that scored Rankin’s second run.
“I think I have hit a ball that far, just not on a field like this,” Patterson said, adding that he doesn’t mind playing on a field a lot bigger than many high schools have at home. “It adds a lot of excitement because you never know how far the ball is going. We had a lot of big hits today, a couple of triples because this field just keeps going.”
After his triple, Patterson scored on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Penn to put Woodford up 3-0 in the top of the third inning.
The four-run rally with two outs in the top of the fourth helped put the game away.
Despite having a leadoff double taken off the base paths as Justin Baker slid past the bag at third on a steal attempt, the Yellow Jackets continued to threaten thanks to a hit batsmen and a stolen base.
A groundout put the runner at third base with two outs for Rankin, who choked up on his bat after falling behind in the count 0-2.
“I’m just shortening up, seeing my swing and just trying to poke a ball through the middle,” Rankin said. “That’s what I did. That was huge. We just cut loose.”
After a walk to Patterson, Collin Kemp blooped an RBI single to center field that drew a poor throw to third base trying to cut down a runner. The ball sailed over the defender and let another run in as it bounded out of play. Kemp scored on Penn’s triple moments later for a 7-0 lead.
“I’m excited about the way we’re hitting right now,” Coach Patterson said. “We’ve made a few adjustments in the lineup and moved a few things around and the guys are getting hot at the right time.”
Woodford County starting pitcher Landon Corum allowed three runs on eight hits and struck out five. He overcame a nervy start that included a hit batsmen, a single and a walk to Boyd hitters in the bottom of the first inning. He struck out the other three batters around them, however.
“Our starter came in and did a nice job of giving us a quality start. That’s all you can ask,” Coach Patterson said. “He’s a sophomore, big arm, big heart. He came out and competed and held them off for a long time.”
When Corum got touched up in the fifth inning, Woodford went with regular-season ace Cole Dycus in relief. Dycus got torched for three runs in the first inning against DeSales on Thursday and lasted only two-thirds of an inning. On Saturday, he shut Boyd down without a hit over the final 2⅓ innings.
“They’re doing a good job of picking each other up and playing for each other,” Coach Patterson said.
Boyd County (26-10), which upset No. 7 Danville on Thursday, got two hits from Luke Preston, including a two-run double in the fifth inning. Alex Martin knocked in the Lions’ other run.
The state tournament will resume Friday at Kentucky Proud Park and the Yellow Jackets will face Russell County in the 12:30 p.m. game of the semifinals doubleheader. The championship game will be at 7 p.m. June 11.
“This is something we’ve been working for. We told them they had it in them,” Coach Patterson said. “We’ve believed in them the whole way, kept pushing them, kept supporting them, kept picking them up and they are having a blast right now.”
Saturday’s other day-session quarterfinal
Russell County 1, Beechwood 0: Cody Luttrell pitched a four-hit shutout as the No. 17 Lakers (30-6) made a lone run in the second inning stand up to knock the No. 6 Tigers out of the tournament.
Russell County courtesy runner Alex Reynolds scored on a sacrifice bunt by Evan Hammond in the second. Roy was running for catcher Isaac Roy who led off the inning with a single. Nick Aaron’s single on the next at-bat moved Roy up to third to set up the bunt.
Luttrell struck out eight and walked none. A sensational seventh-inning catch by left-fielder Trace Stringer up against the fence on a leadoff moonshot by Beechwood’s Mitchell Berger helped preserve the victory. Luttrel then got a lineout and a strikeout to set Beechwood down in order to end the game.
“I knew I was going to have to attack, attack attack and that’s what we did,” Luttrell told PBR Kentucky after the game. “Brought it to the zone and if I don’t get them, let the guys make plays behind me.”
Beechwood (29-7) was ranked in the PrepBaseballReport.com’s top 10 for much of the season and won the 9th Region championship as a 35th District runner-up to Covington Catholic.
The Tigers are the fourth team ranked in the final regular season top 25 to fall in the tournament along with No. 5 Owensboro Catholic, No. 7 Danville and No. 23 Corbin.
State tournament
At UK’s Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington
Schedule listed in bracketed order
Thursday’s first-round games
Beechwood 7, Owensboro Catholic 6 (8)
Russell Co. 2, Madison Central 1
Friday’s first-round games
Campbell Co. 14, Johnson Central 2
Saturday’s quarterfinals
McCracken Co. 4, Campbell Co. 3
St. Xavier 13, Central Hardin 0
June 10 semifinals
12:30 p.m.: Russell Co. (30-6) vs. Woodford Co. (26-13)
6:30 p.m.: McCracken Co. (35-6) vs. St. Xavier (32-10)
June 11
7 p.m.: Championship game
This story was originally published June 4, 2022 at 4:38 PM.
