[BlackcatAlum]

Final

Congrats Rockets!

[blue1424]

CARROLLTON – Eric Standafer singled home the winning run in the bottom 11th inning Thursday night lifted Shelby County past Anderson County, 10-9, in an epic 8th Region championship that last 4 hours and 20 minutes.

Standafer also hit the game-tying home run in the sixth inning that allowed the Rockets to extend the game in the first of two comebacks that allowed the Rockets to advance to the State Tournament.

“Do we have one more?” SCHS Coach Bart Roettger screamed at his dugout after Nate Clifton led off the 11th with a single and Shelby trailing, 9-7.

Bearcats pitcher Jacob Russell, who pitched the first three innings before coming back in the seventh, walked Matthew Purdom, and Brian Straub reached on fielder’s choice.

Then Taylor Boone doubled to left to tie the score, 9-9. Russell struck out Tyler Tipton before walking James Wright, the hero of the Rockets’ semifinal victory.

Standafer grounded a single to center to send the Rockets into a frenzy of celebration.

Standafer also was one of five pitchers used by the Rockets, starting Boone and finishing with Wright, who relived Jordan Bailey in the 11th and retired the Bearcats.

Shelby had led, 4-0, through three innings on the back of a solo home run by John Hunter and an RBI by Boone.

But Anderson came back against Boone to take the lead, 7-4, with a four-run sixth inning

In their half of the sixth, the Rockets rallied against reliever Michael Harley. Tipton singled, Wright, whose 2-run, walk-off single won the semifinal against North Oldham, then homered over the 315-foot sign to right field.

Standafer was next and drove Harley’s pitch over the left-field field, and suddenly it was 7-7 and extra innings loomed.

Both teams threatened in the ninth inning, but the Rockets’ defense helped keep them in the game.

When Anderson’s Kyle Rogers lofted a long fly ball to center, Clifton fell down and then regained his footing to make the catch. Then third baseman Boone knocked down Hunter Coffey’s smash with his chest, picked up the ball, spun 360 degrees and nailed Coffey at first.

In the bottom of the ninth, after Clifton doubled, Russell walked Purdom intentionally, and the Bearcats got a force out at third.

Then Russell moved to throw to first base, and Anderson’s first baseman faked as if the ball had gotten past him. Russell then turned and threw to third to get Kody Noonan, running for Purdom, as he tried to advance.

The state tournament is June 14 at the University of Kentucky. The format is a 16-team, single-elimination event.

http://www.lcni5.com/cgi-bin/c2.cgi?019+...3019019002

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CARROLLTON – Anderson County's dream of a baseball 3-peat came to a stunning end Thursday night when Shelby County outlasted the Bearcats 10-9 in an 11-inning classic to win the Eighth Region championship.

Shelby's Eric Standafer ripped Jacob Russell's pitch up the middle for a clean two-out single to drive in pinch runner Logan Bailey with the winning run.

In a thriller that took almost 4.5 hours to play, the teams traded leads, excitement and incredible plays. The teams combined to use eight different pitchers, with Russell starting and relieving for Anderson. Both teams had numerous opportunities to win or fold.

Shelby jumped to a 4-0 lead early, but Anderson rallied when Matt Fogle belted a 3-run homer in the fourth. The Bearcats then seemed to take control of the game with four runs in the top of the sixth only to see Shelby's James Wright and Standafer account for three runs with back-to-back home runs that made it 7-7.

It stayed that way until Anderson scored on singles from Kyle Rogers and Fogle in the 11th, but after the Bearcats loaded the bases with one out, they could not add to their lead.

Shelby tied it in the bottom of the inning on Taylor Boone's double. Bailey ran for Boone, and with two outs, Standafer came through with the winner.

http://www.lcni5.com/cgi-bin/c2.cgi?003+...6003003001