GRC ends Bourbon’s 5-game win streak, thanks to two costly errors by the Colonels

BCHS, ranked No. 1 in the 10th Region, entered the contest with the top pitching staff in the state

 

JARRETT VANMETER l jarrettvanmeter@gmail.com

 

PARIS, KY – Two plays. That, according to Bourbon County baseball head coach Nelson Faris, was the difference between a possible 1-1 tie and the 5-1 loss the Colonels ultimately suffered on Tuesday to GRC. Bourbon entered the district clash on a five-game winning streak and owning a 12-2 overall record, but the  momentum was momentarily halted by the visiting Cardinals, who capitalized on crucial errors in the first and third innings to take the first 2024 matchup between the two teams.

 

“First inning, the play at first base, ground ball we should have caught, went through and ended up being a double,” said Faris. “Then a fly ball we missed in left field and they score three runs that inning. We catch that and it’s a routine out. Should be caught. It’s those plays that come back to haunt you. You can’t do it against good teams.”

Eastern Kentucky junior signee Kamden McAlpin notched the day’s first run for the Cardinals (12-7, 3-0) in the top of the first inning, reaching second base on the aforementioned error and then crossing home on the next at-bat on an RBI double by senior JP Gaines. In the bottom of the first, sophomore J.T. Richie got Bourbon going offensively with a double that moved Xavier Baker to third, but the Colonels were unable to capitalize and left both runners stranded.

Ritchie, who was also on the mound for the Colonels, retired the GRC side in the second inning, but the Cardinals’ three-run third blew the game open. Freshman Tielor Howie, McAlpin, and Louisville senior signee Brady Davis scored to grow the lead to 4-0.

Faris was succinct in his assessment of the costly inning.

“We’ve just got to make the other teams beat us and not beat ourselves.”

The game was quiet for the next two innings with both pitchers executing well and holding the offenses in check, but an Abraham Howard run in the top of the sixth pushed the GRC lead to 5-0. Bourbon showed signs of life in the bottom of the sixth, as sophomore Jaxson Vires got the Colonels going with a single, then stole second on a misfired check throw. Baker, a junior, reached on a walk to give Bourbon two men on with no outs, and a Ritchie double sent Vires home for the Colonels’ first run of the day. But that is where it ended. Three straight outs set the score that would hold as the final.

Despite the costly mistakes, Faris said he was pleased with how his young group hung in against a talented and experienced George Rogers Clark roster.

“We’re facing college signees and I’ve got four seniors,” he said. “We’re primarily a sophomore and junior ball club, so we’re in there scrapping and fighting and doing what we can, and that’s just what we’ve got to do.”

Ritchie led the Colonels with two hits, while Jaxon Vires, senior Matthew Hazell, and fellow senior Aiden Earlywine all delivered a single each.

Ritchie went the distant on the bump, where he gave up 6 hits and one earned run. He also walked two batters and finished with seven strikeouts.

GRC, winners of their last 8 out of 9 games, defeated Mason County last night 18-4. They will return to the diamond on Saturday to face Somerset and Bullitt East.

Bourbon (12-3, 1-1) returns to action tonight at home against a Nicholas County (6-8) team that has lost three straight. The Colonels defeated Coach Josh Earlywine’s Blue Jackets by a score of 10-3 in the two teams’ only 2023 matchup. Faris sounded confident in his group’s ability to bounce back from just its third loss of the season.

“We’ll just play our game and take our chances,” he said.