BASEBALL: Comeback chances come up just short for Dublin in series opener at Jefferson County

Six out of the seven innings went about as well as Dublin could have hoped for. 

The Irish, committing just one error and walking nary a Jefferson County batter all afternoon, kept the Warriors scoreless on just three hits in all but the fourth frame of action that was the lone outlier. 

But four runs on five hits there helped the visitors find the scoreboard, and spoil an otherwise squeaky-clean game. And Dublin was unable to make up all of that lost ground as it fell to Jefferson County in a 4-3 heartbreaker to open the teams’ three-game region series Tuesday at Bush Perry Field. 

It will conclude Friday with a 4 p.m. doubleheader in Louisville. 

The Irish (7-13, 2-2 region 2-High A) got one hit each from Xavier Reese, Tyrese Robinson, Bennett Lake, Josh Guyton, Eli Hartwell and Tal Duke, but were also kept from scoring in all but one inning: A three-run fifth that brought them within one of tying the game. 

But their rally was stopped short of an equalizing run by a Jefferson County throw, and play at the plate, that robbed Bennett Lake of a second RBI on his hit that threatened to even it back up. 

A third Warrior out moments later left two men stranded, and Dublin with a distressing sense of missed opportunity. 

The Irish went down in order in the sixth, but got two more aboard in the seventh before Jefferson County retired the side and closed their final window of opportunity. 

Openings, for both teams, were limited outside of the two half-innings that contained their seven combined runs. 

Jefferson County’s third, to break up the pattern of early blanks on the line score, was its lone true breakthrough against Reese, whose five-and-two-thirds-inning start included eight Warriors hits, four earned runs and three strikeouts. 

They found some gaps, both infield and outfield, with repeated contact that turned into hits for Mason Tungate, Trey Davis, Easton Pittman, Caleb Dukes and Chevy Farmer – the latter three to drive in runs. 

The key fourth was credited to a steal-and-score, as Farmer attempted second, and Dukes scored from third behind the Dublin throw down for what would have been only a second out. 

Reese was able to get out of the inning without further issue on back-to-back pop-outs. But Jefferson County was on top 4-0. 

The Irish – excepting the fifth – were also held to three hits, the same number they added to a handful of walks in the three-run surge. 

The Warriors’ staff walked five and hit another for a total of six free passes, but recovered to strand seven Irish runners by game’s end. Its members also struck out six. 

Dublin’s comeback failed to gain traction in the bottom halves of the third or fourth, when five were set down in a row before Lake and Hartwell drew two-out walks – the former stealing second and third – before an Evin Usry strikeout ended the threat. 

Duke started out the fifth-inning uprising with a single, and Reese reached on a walk to set up a couple of runs to score on Robinson’s RBI double, and make the Jefferson County lead only 4-2. 

Deago Jackson then drew a walk, and Josh Guyton was hit by a Jayden Duncan pitch to load the bases. 

Bennett Lake’s single brought home Robinson to make it 4-3, but Jackson was thrown out on an attempt to score the tying run behind him, and the inning ended on a flyout in the next at-bat with the Warriors still up by a run. 

Farmer, on in relief for Jefferson County, struck out one in an orderly Dublin sixth inning, pinning Irish hopes to tie or win on a last chance in the seventh that Reese opened up with a base hit, and steal of second to put the tying run in scoring position. 

Farmer, though, got Robinson to fly into a first out. He walked Jackson to put ’em first and second, but then popped up Guyton to get the Warriors an out away. Lake grounded into a force play at third that ended the game. 

Dublin’s Hartwell, entering to pitch in the fifth, threw one and one third innings of scoreless, hitless relief. He struck out two. 

Reese and Lake had two each of Dublin’s seven stolen bases.