Jack Wills' walk-off sends Shelby County baseball past Apollo and into KHSAA championship

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Even for a squad that hadn't been to the state semifinals in over 15 years, the Shelby County High School baseball team oozed the confidence necessary to reach the top.

It's the attitude that allowed Jack Wills to deliver the walk-off single that puts the Rockets one win away from their first title in 44 years.

"I was fighting at the plate, fighting fastballs off all day," Wills said. "I knew I could do it."

The junior designated hitter drove a 3-2 pitch into right field to lift No. 17 Shelby County (32-9) to its fifth state championship appearance, beating Apollo in Friday's first semifinal of the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop State Tournament at the University of Kentucky’s Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington.

Chasing history: Shelby County, in semifinals, seeking first state championship in 44 years

Senior Kemper Whisman — who allowed two hits, a walk and no earned runs while striking out six in five innings — the state's leader in doubles, started on the mound for the Rockets and kept the Eagles at bay even after a handful of jams.

Eagles junior righty and Kentucky Wesleyan College commit Noah Cook pitched to all but the final two batters as Apollo finished 25-13 on the year.

The Eagles' only run came on a throwing error in the fourth inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, senior first baseman Freddie Stohlman hit a one-out single to left, and fellow senior Tony Bailey bunted him over and reached first base himself on a fielding error.

Bailey, who added two hits, suffered cramps in both legs on that play and needed a pinch runner before Wills made the game-winning play.

"At practice yesterday, we had BP, and I was just feeling really good," Bailey said. "It just carried over to this game."

The left fielder is part of a blazingly fast and experienced Rockets outfield. Anchored in the middle by Carter White, Bailey said his team's great defensive abilities allowed them to stay in the pitchers' duel.

KHSAA softball: Ballard's Brooke Gray, U of L commit, named Gatorade Kentucky Softball Player of the Year

Title defense: Ballard beats Rowan County, returns to KHSAA softball title game

"It means a lot," Bailey said. "It's a really fast outfield."

Bailey said it would take a similar effort offensively and defensively when Shelby County takes on the winner of Whitley County (37-4) and Henderson County (20-17) in Saturday's 7 p.m. championship game.

Rockets head coach Steve Kingsolver said while his team's defense has been key since he arrived in 2020, they've seen their play at the plate catch up in a big way this season.

“The last piece of the puzzle that’s gotten stronger this year is our offense,” Kingsolver said earlier this week. “That was the final element that’s helped us achieve some postseason success.”

He didn't reveal a lot of specifics for what it would take for his team to bring a long-awaited KHSAA title back to Shelbyville, more so recognizing the continuing of what they've been doing.

"All you can hope for is you have your best game," the fourth-year head coach said.

Although Wills, who earned the win in Saturday's quarterfinal victory over Eastern, didn't play in the field Friday, he knows plainly how good it feels to have that behind him when great defense (and great play in general) is an expectation, not an anomaly.

"We always do it, nothing less expected," he said.

APOLLO 000   100   1 – 1 2 1

SHELBY COUNTY 010   000   1 – 2 9 1

WP – Kemper Whisman (8-1). LP – Will Strode (5-3). Save – Hunter Cook (5).

Reach reporter Caleb Wiegandt at cwiegandt@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @CalebWiegandt.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KHSAA baseball 2023: Shelby County beats Apollo on walk-off in semis