Bulldogs vs Cardinals for 1A Sectional Championship

It'll be the St. Anthony Bulldogs vs. the North Clay Cardinals for the championship of the Louisville 1A Baseball Sectional.

That matchup is the result of a pair of walkoff wins for the two teams in semifinal games Thursday night. The Bulldogs defeated Edwards County 20-9 in the opener, while the Cardinals downed Oblong 11-1. Both games went six innings due to the 10-run rule. Both games were heard on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com. 

As a result, the Bulldogs will take on the Cardinals Saturday at 11am at Louisville. We will be broadcasting the contest.

In the St. Anthony win, Joseph Kabbes slammed a three-run sixth inning home run to win the game. It was his second three-run homer of the game. In an ironic twist, Kabbes had come into relief to close out the game as St. Anthony earlier had led by more 10 runs, but gave up four runs and the game continued so the game-winner was a bit of redemption for him.

Bryar Jansen was a load at the top of the order for St. Anthony, hitting a two-run homer and a three-run shot in consecutive at-bats in the second and third innings. Drew Gibson hit a grand slam for the fifth Bulldogs' homer in the game.

Colin Koester started on the mound for St. Anthony and gave up four runs, three earned, on four hits and a walk while striking out three. Kabbes then got two outs in the fifth before allowing four runs on four hits and two walks. Gibson then came on to get the final out of the inning and pitched the sixth, allowing a home run but fanning four.

At the plate for St. Anthony: Bryar Jansen--two home runs, walk, three runs scored, 5 RBI; Austin Kline--three walks, two runs scored; Drew Gibson--home run, single, walk, three runs, 4 RBI; Greg Utz--single, walk, hit by pitch, two runs scored; Joseph Kabbes--two home runs, single, three runs scored, 6 RBI; Adam Levitt--double, single, hit by pitch, three runs scored; Jacob Guy--two singles, sacrifice, run scored, 3 RBI; Ethan Greene--two walks, run scored; Bryson Wall--double, two walks, two runs scored, RBI.

St. Anthony improved to 18-8 on the season, while Edwards County closes out their campaign with a 16-10 record.

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In the second game, Oblong actually took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a double by Kacey Cheek who scored on a single by Ryan Gill.

That's where the fun ended for the Panthers, though. 

The run seemed to serve as a wake-up call for North Clay pitcher Jordan Bloemer, who never allowed another hit, and fanned 16 Oblong batters, including a stretch of 11 straight batters.

Bloemer helped his own cause at the plate with a three-run homer in the bottom of the first to give the Cardinals a lead they would never relinquish. Tyson led off the first with a single, but he was forced by Brandon Repking who reached on the fielder's choice. Quincy Aldrich was then hit by a pitch before Bloemer homered.

The Cardinals scored two more runs in the third when Bloemer was hit by a pitch and Michael Lovett homered. North Clay added two runs in the fourth, when Briar Repking singled and Brandon Repking homered one out later.

The Cardinals scored two runs in the fifth when Colt VanDyke, Briar Repking and Tyson Jones walked back-to-back-to-back and then consecutive ground ball outs scored them both to make it 9-1.

North Clay scored the two game winning runs in the sixth when with two outs, Ethan Burkett singled, Colt VanDyke walked and Briar Repking ended the game with a double to the right centerfield fence.

At the plate for North Clay: Tyson Jones--single, walk; Brandon Repking--home run, single, two runs scored, 3 RBI; Quincy Aldrich--hit by pitch, fielder's choice, RBI; Jordan Bloemer--home run, walk, hit by pitch, 3 RBI; Fleener--two runs scored; Michael Lovett--home run, hit by pitch, run scored, 2 RBI; Reese Blank--fielder's choice, hit by pitch; Ethan Burkett--hit by pitch, fielder's choice; Colt VanDyke--two walks, two runs scored; Briar Repking--double, single, walk, two runs scored, 2 RBI

North Clay improved to 23-7 on the season, while Oblong ends their campaign with a 19-5 record.