Ohio Valley Regional Recap

Jordan Posway

As the 13u National Championship came to a close, the Super25 action in the Ohio Valley was just beginning. Thirty nine deserving teams congregated in Lexington, Kentucky, but only two National Championship berths were up for grabs. The Ironmen Baseball Club and the KBC 17u Prime rose to the occasion, and as a result, they are National Championship bound.

In the 16u tournament, the Ironmen Baseball Club were one of three teams to emerge from their respective pools with an unblemished record. After pool play, it seemed as though the Ironmen were on a collision course with similarly undefeated teams such as the KBC 16u Blue and Team Missouri. However, it was a surprise team from Pool E that would collide with the Ironmen in the championship game. The Ohio Elite-Ratcliff fell to Team Missouri 3-1 in pool play, but they hit their stride in the championship bracket. The Ohio Elite bounced the KBC 16u Blue and avenged their early defeat against Team Missouri in back-to-back contests to advance to the championship game against the Ironmen, who squeaked by the Cincy Fury 2-1 in the semi-finals due to Colin Mack’s two RBI day. The Ohio Elite got on the board quick in the first inning, but the pitching duo of Chase Rudy and Braydon Tucker kept the Elite’s offense silent for the rest of the game. Luke Williamson returned the favor, pitching all six innings for the Elite while allowing one earned run, courtesy of Jake Reece. Both teams were evenly matched, but errors played the deciding role in the Ironmen Baseball Clubs’ 4-1 championship game victory. The Ironmen played a fundamentally sound game and took advantage of the Elite’s five defensive miscues to earn a spot in the PG Super25 16u National Championship.

The KBC 17u Prime finished second in their pool behind the Crystal Lake Bombers, but they saved their best for the championship bracket. The KBC 17u Prime outlasted two pool winners, the Midwest Prospects Marucci and the Midwest Marlins, en route the championship game against the Ohio Surge-Griffith. At the end of pool play, the Ohio Surge were caught in a three-way tie with the Midwest Prospects Marucci and the Illinois Indians. The three teams boasted a 2-1 record as the Ohio Surge lost to the Midwest Prospects but beat the Illinois Indians, who defeated the Prospects earlier in pool play. Although they had the same record, the Indians had the fewest runs scored and the lowest run differential of the three, so the Midwest Prospects and the Ohio Surge advanced to the championship bracket. The Surge overcame an uphill battle to face the Prime in the championship, which included a quality win over the undefeated Crystal Lake Bombers. The battle between the two underdogs would live up to the hype, as it was a thrilling back-and-forth affair for seven innings. A walk-off RBI single by Jaxon Blair in the bottom of the seventh lifted the KBC Prime over the Ohio Surge. Bailey Sutton and Brody Shoupe paved the way for the offense, combining for four hits and three RBIs in their team's 5-4 championship game triumph.

With the Ohio Valley Regional Championship wins, the Ironmen Baseball Club and the KBC 17u Prime have earned the right to participate in the PG Super25 National Championships in Emerson and Fort Myers respectively.

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