The third time was a charm for the University Heights Academy Blazers, who are the Region 2 Baseball Tournament champions for the first time in school history.
Playing in their third straight Region 2 Baseball Tournament championship game, the Blazers took advantage of seven walks and four hit batters and crushed Christian County 12-1 in five innings Thursday night in the title game at Chris Simmons Field.
For UHA, it was redemption for a 2-1 loss to the Colonels in the District 8 Tournament championship last week on the same field.
Blazers’ Head Baseball Coach Michael Crow said his team wasn’t ready for their season to end.
Christian County started Sebastian Dazey and the Blazers greeted him with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Back-to-back singles by Cadence Gibson and Hayden Hunt were followed by an intentional walk to AJ Hogart. Dazey walked Courtland Gibson to force in Cadence Gibson for a 1-0 lead. Aiden Jones’ two-out single scored Hunt to make it 2-0.
UHA (29-8) pushed its lead to 4-0 in the second inning as Josh Pace led off with a single and moved to second base on a passed ball. He moved to third on a deep fly out by Ryan Luckey. Cadence Gibson and Hunt drew walks to load the bases. Courtland Gibson was hit by a pitch to score Pace. Jackson Flynn was hit three pitches later and Cadence Gibson touched home to make it 4-0.
In the third, the Blazers extended their led to 7-0 as they took advantage of a hit and a couple of errors by Christian County (23-16).
Christian County Head Baseball Coach Cole Isom said he thought his team was ready but took the blame for the loss after the game.
While the Colonels’ pitchers were struggling, Hunt was in control. He pitched out of jams in the first and third inings and finished with four strikeouts and only one walk. He scattered five hits in five innings of work.
Hunt said he felt good coming into the game.
The Colonels got on the board in the top of the fourth inning as Gage Montes singled home Andrew Mayes to cut the lead to 7-1.
However, Jackson Flynn greeted new pitcher Dylan Sweeney with a towering home run into left field to open the bottom of the fourth.
Crow said Flynn’s homer got the Blazers refocused.
The Blazers would add four more runs using two walks and a hit batter. The big hit was a three-run double by Hogart that gave UHA a 12-1 advantage.
Hunt shut down the Colonels in the top of the fifth and the Blazers began their celebration.
Isom said UHA grabbed the early momentum and made it difficult for his team to come back.
Cadence Gibson and Pace went 2-for-3 to lead the Blazers at the plate.
Christian County’s Blake Boehman and Layton Creamer each had a double to lead the Colonels.
For University Heights, the next stop is the KHSAA State Baseball Tournament at Legends Field in Lexington at 4 p.m. Central Time on June 4. The Blazers will play the winner of Region 14. Wolfe County and Hazard will play Friday to decide the winner of that region.
Crow said his team has the potential to have a long stay in the state tournament.
For the Colonels, it was the final game in their history. They will officially become the Christian County Tigers in 2027.
Score by Innings:
Christian County 000 10 – 1 5 2
University Heights 223 5x – 12 7 0
WP – Hunt (5 IP, 4 SO, 1 BB).
LP – Dazey (1 2/3 IP, 1 SO, 4 BB).
Leading Hitters: CCHS – Montes (1B), Boehman (2B), Creamer (2B), Dazey (1B), Mayes (1B); UHA – Ca. Gibson (2 1B), Hunt (1B), Hogart (2B, 3 RBI), Flynn (HR, 2 RBI). Pace (2 1B).
Photos by Peyton Biaquis