With the season on the line, 9-year-old pitcher Isaac James threw a gem for Owensboro Southern’s 10U All-Star team to help them advance to the championship game of the District 1 Tournament.
The lefty hurler guided Southern to a 9-1 win over Bowling Green East in Monday’s semifinal at Country Heights Elementary School. Owensboro will play Warren County South at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the final.
Southern manager Josh Henry said the team knew there was no room for error against Warren County, who scored 40 runs in three games of pool play.
“When we showed up today, we knew we were underdogs,” he said. “That’s the approach we took. We knew it was win or go home, but the job’s not done yet.”
James allowed an unearned run on just two hits while striking out nine batters and walking two. He reached his pitch limit with two outs in the sixth inning.
“He’s a baller,” Henry said. “He wants the ball and he wants to play as much as he can. He’s pretty good at locating (pitches). He keeps his strike zone really low so that leads to ground balls.”
The Owensboro offense exploded for five runs in the second inning. The rally started with pinch hitter Jagger Pate ripping a leadoff double down the left field line. Two-run doubles by Jude Evans and James helped Southern take a big lead early.
Owensboro added three runs in the fourth inning and one more in the sixth.
Evans led with three hits, while James and Walker Crabtree added two each. Evans drove in three runs and James had two RBIs. Maddox Ulmer scored three times.
Henry said they will use the same approach against Warren County South, who beat Owensboro 13-0 in pool play on Saturday.
“They’ve already beat us once,” he said. “We have to make every play like it’s a championship play. The team has to do it for each other.”
