On Friday night in Lexington, it would be a rematch of last year’s state championship game in the KHSAA Baseball State Tournament semi-finals, as the McCracken County Mustangs looked to get their postseason win back over the Pleasure Ridge Panthers. However, a shaky start would dig the Mustangs a hole they couldn’t climb out of, as the Panthers would capitalize on costly errors and a few bad bounces to end McCracken’s season for the second straight year, 4-0.
“It was a bad day to have a bad day. We’d played clean defense all season long, and it just wasn’t there today,” Mustangs head coach Zach Hobbs said. “What makes this game great is what also makes it wicked, and it just wasn’t our day. We got out to a bad start, made a couple of errors, and never really recovered.”
The top half of the first would not be the start that Josh Penrod was looking for on the mound for the Mustangs, putting the first batter of the night on with a walk. While one out would go on the board on a sacrifice bunt, the bounces would not favor McCracken throughout the first; after a dropped third strike would put runners on the corners, an error in the infield would allow the first run of the night to score. A wild pitch later on in the inning would double the Panthers advantage through the middle of the first, holding through the back half of the inning, with the Mustang bats unable to respond.
Following the shaky first, Penrod would find his bearings on the mound, largely shutting down PRP through the middle innings of the game. Through five innings, the left-hander would rack up eight strikeouts, allowing just a single hit in that span.
“We stuck with the lefty-lefty matchup with Penrod, he battled back and did a great job for us...That’s a gutsy performance from him,” Hobbs said, on Penrod’s outing. “That’s what our pitching staff has done for us all year, they battle back.”
Although the defense kept the score in check, the bats struggled to close the gap against PRP starter Joey Dudeck. While they would have runners in scoring position in the second and fourth, a second-inning single for Lane Grace would be the only hit they had to show for through five, still down by a pair.
“We left a couple of guys on, that’s tough after giving up a two-spot early...Dudeck was doing a great job, really finding the corners well,” Hobbs continued. “I think our swings got a bit too big, and that’s what he does to you. He’d nibble at the zone, try to get you to chase, and we knew that. But knowing it and executing it are two different things...we just couldn’t find the hit when we needed it.”
With the pitch count climbing for Penrod, the Panthers would find themselves in business once more in the top half of the sixth, with a hit batsman and single putting two runners on. Just as the Mustangs were on the brink of escaping the jam, the Panthers would deal a blow to double the lead; after a run scored on a single to right, a sailed throw into center trying to cut down the runner on second would allow a second run to score. While the Mustangs would get the out at third to end the inning, they’d find themselves in a deeper hole heading into the bottom of the sixth, down 4-0.
With nothing going for McCracken to close the sixth, Noah Godwin would take the mound for the seventh inning, holding the lead to four as the Mustangs were down to their last outs.
Although the Mustangs would see a runner on with one away through a walk, a rally was not on the cards. A ground ball to short base would turn into a double play for the Panthers, ending the Mustangs’ season, 4-0.
“This one hurts, we poured everything into it, but we’ll hold our heads high. It was another great season for our program, and these kids represented our school as well as they could. Nothing but proud of this team, we’re just disappointed that it’s over,” Hobbs concluded. “I’m not sad that we lost, I’m sad that it’s over. It’s been a blast coaching this group, I love these guys more than I can put into words, and this team has done so much for this program...The future’s so bright, we’re excited about what we’ve got, and we’ll get right back to work in August.”
PLEASURE RIDGE PARK 4, MCCRACKEN COUNTY 0
PRP 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 — 4 3 1
MCHS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 2 2
WP: J. Dudeck; LP: J. Penrod
TB: MCHS — L. Grace 1, W. Fox 1; PRP — D. Harris 1, K. Howard 1, R. Lee 1
HBP: PRP — L. Strong
SB: MCHS — L. Grace
CS: MCHS — G. Dugan
E: MCHS — J. Penrod, K. Dunning; PRP — K. Howard
RECORDS: Pleasure Ridge Park (30-6); McCracken County (30-9)