Male 4 Ballard 0 (7th Region)

**blue1424** · 05-28-2012, 01:42 PM

Final

**Stardust** · 05-29-2012, 08:24 AM

Male High School senior Trey Simpson admitted that his team’s 4-1 loss to Ballard just three weeks ago served as motivation during Monday’s rematch in the Seventh Region Tournament.“We had to get revenge on them and beat them when it counts,” Simpson said.
Simpson helped make it happen, tossing a three-hitter and striking out five as the Bulldogs defeated the Bruins 4-0 in a regional quarterfinal at Pleasure Ridge Park.
The left-handed Simpson improved to 7-2 on the mound and also added an RBI as the Bulldogs (27-10) — ranked No. 7 in the state — advanced to face No. 2 Eastern (32-7) in Tuesday’s 7:30 p.m. semifinal at the University of Louisville’s Jim Patterson Stadium.
“He pounded the strike zone and stayed ahead in the count, and all of his pitches were working,” Male coach Todd Driskell said of Simpson. “I don’t think they hit the ball solidly except for once or twice.”
Dayton Rausch was 2 for 3 to lead No. 21 Ballard (23-11), which advanced just one runner to third base the entire game.
“The whole season we’ve struggled with lefties,” Bruins coach David Trager said. “You hope you finally understand how to hit them and hope it clicks, but unfortunately we couldn’t solve that lefty problem. Simpson pitched great.”
Male stranded three runners through the first two innings before finally getting on the board in the third, loading the bases on a Zach Janes single, a Justen Linares walk and a Brandon Crabtree single.
Simpson’s sacrifice fly to center scored Janes, but that’s the only run the Bulldogs would get as Linares was thrown out at the plate on Dalton Howell’s single.
“I’m just glad we got at least one run on the board,” Simpson said. “That first run is always big.”
Ballard’s best chance to score came in the fourth after Rausch led off with a double and moved to third on Trevor Putzig’s sacrifice bunt. Wes Phan then bunted back to the mound, and Rausch was tagged out after a rundown between third and home.
“That was a big play right there,” Driskell said. “It’s always nice to play with a lead rather than be tied or behind.”
Janes’ RBI double made it 2-0 in the fourth, and Tyler Adams added some insurance with a two-run homer in the sixth. Janes went 3 for 4 to lead Male’s nine-hit attack.
Meanwhile, Simpson retired nine of the final 11 batters he faced.
Now it’s on to a third meeting this season with Eastern. Male won 4-0 on March 29, with Eastern winning the rematch 4-0 on May 17.
“That’s like a regional championship or a state championship,” Driskell said. “The first team that blinks, that will probably bode well for the other team. We just hope we’re clicking and swinging the sticks like we’re capable of doing.”http://www.courier-journal.com/article/2...t|Sports|p