Lakewood battles No. 1 Badin in regional baseball loss
The Lakewood baseball team’s postseason run came to an end Thursday, but the upstart Lancers made Ohio’s top-ranked team sweat.
Lakewood (12-16) scored twice to cut into a 6-0 deficit and had opportunities to get closer. Badin (29-1), however, scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to put away a 9-2 victory in a Division II regional semifinal at Mason.
Lakewood’s senior ace left-hander Tyler Bebout delivered another gritty performance. After allowing three runs apiece in the first and third innings, he threw three shutout innings to end an outstanding season and career for the Lancers.
“We didn't make a couple plays early that led to runs,” Lakewood coach Chuck Davis told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “We turn our double play and catch a pop up, and we get out of the inning without scoring a run. The guys, they played really, really hard. We played well; we just got beat today. They’re very well-coached, a great program. They're here every year.”
Juniors William Marrero and Nate Gall had singles to start Lakewood’s fourth-inning uprising. Classmate Peyton Tichenor continued his hot hitting in the postseason with an RBI single, and a second run followed on an error.
A double for junior Cayden MacDonald and Bebout single put two Lancers on base in the sixth. Badin’s Justin Hoevel, however, was able to escape the jam.
Bebout finished with six strikeouts and allowed eight hits and four earned runs in his six innings. Sophomore Colton Ferry also had a hit for the Lancers, who ended the Rams’ streak of four consecutive shutouts.
Rodney Rachel homered and doubled, driving in three runs for the Rams. Chandler Taylor also had two hits and three RBIs.
In addition to Bebout, Lakewood also graduates Hayden Ferry. The Lancers avenged Licking County League losses to Granville and Licking Valley during their run to a district championship.
"We want to play our best baseball at the end of the season, and we were," Davis said. "We just kind of needed one more big hit. We were a couple plays away from making it a close game at the end."
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Lakewood Lancers battle No. 1 Badin in OHSAA regional baseball loss
