Sixth, Seventh, Eighth Region baseball tournaments: See who advanced in Monday's action

Dupont Manual , the 25th District champion, defeated reigning Seventh Region baseball champion Eastern , 6-2,  in the first round of the 2024 regional tournament on Monday at St. Xavier.

This was the fifth matchup between these two teams in two years. Last year, it was all Eastern; they beat Manual three times, including a 2-1 victory over the Crimsons in the semifinals of the Seventh Region Tournament.

This year Manual won both games against the Eagles.

"They beat our number one. They outhit us; they outplayed us, they did everything they needed to do to win the game, so kudos to them," Eastern coach Thomas A. Graves, Jr. said. "This hurts because, you know, we had high expectations, but that's baseball. Play bad on one game one day, and it's over."

Manual entered the game on an impressive five-game winning streak, during which they outscored their opponents by a staggering 63-2.

Junior Nicholas Ballard was the game's star both on the mound and at the plate.

Ballard struck out six batters in 6 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on six hits.

At the top of the third inning, Ballard picked off the runner on first base and struck out the next batter to close the inning.

Ballard hit a solo home run to right field as leadoff hitter in the bottom of the third to put the Crimsons up 4-1.

"I started out that third inning kind of shaky, not finding the zone," Ballard said. "I ended up getting the pick-off that I needed, so we have two outs now, and I was dialed. I threw three straight strikes to their four-hole, struck him out, and then came into the dugout; my team was hyping me up. Then I go up to the plate, he throws me a good pitch, and I blast it. I mean, I was feeling amazing."

Eastern began the sixth inning with a triple by shortstop Kelly Roberston. Robertson scored on an RBI single by Carson Shee to give Eastern its first run since the first inning.

Ballard was relieved in the sixth inning by Chase Chamberlain with bases loaded and one out.

Chamberlain preceded to get the next two batters out, and Manual ended the inning with a 5-2 lead.

"We handed (the ball) over to a senior who's who's been there for us and has been in the moment," Manual coach Ryan Blackwell said. "Nobody wanted that baseball more than Chase Chamberlain, so there was nothing but confidence to hand that ball over to him and never a doubt that he would get it done."

Manual will play Trinity in a regional semifinal at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday at the University of Louisville's Jim Patterson Stadium.

EASTERN 100 001 0 - 2 6 3

MANUAL 211 101 x - 6 10 0

WP - Nicholas Ballard (7-2). LP - Landon Waugh (7-4).

In other Seventh Region Tournament games:

Trinity 3, Male 2

Colin Sander’s RBI double in the bottom of the fifth inning broke a 2-2 tie and held up as the No. 1-ranked Shamrocks (34-4) beat the visiting Bulldogs (10-17).

Nolan Hosking’s two-run double gave Trinity a 2-1 lead in the first inning. Male tied it at 2 in the top of the fifth on an RBI from Cayden Perry.

Trinity senior Jakob Schweitzer (9-1) allowed five hits and two walks in seven innings and struck out 10 as the Shamrocks ran their winning streak to 20.

Male pitcher Drew Braun (3-3) allowed four hits, walked three and struck out four.

MALE    100   010   0 -   2   5   0

TRINITY  200   010   x -   3   4  0

WP – Jakob Schweitzer (9-1). LP – Drew Braun (3-3).

Ballard 3, Highlands Latin 1

Lucas Niemeyer and Kaine Samuels hit solo home runs to lead the Bruins over the visiting Highlanders.

Xzavier Brown also had an RBI for the No. 4-ranked Bruins (28-5), who managed just four hits against Highlands Latin starter Truman Neuner.

Neuner and Daniel Sweeney both had two hits for Highlands Latin (21-13), which took a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

Ballard will face St. Xavier at 8 p.m. Wednesday in a regional semifinal of the University of Louisville’s Jim Patterson Stadium.

HIGHLANDS LATIN   100  000  0 - 1   4   1

BALLARD                  001   011   x - 3   4   1

WP – Zeke House (5-2). LP – Truman Neuner (7-8).

St. Xavier 20, Francis Parker 0

The No. 13 Tigers (23-15) pounded out five triples in their victory over the visiting Wyverns (7-16).

The game was called after three innings because of the mercy rule.

St. X pitcher Cooper Mattingly did not allow a hit and struck out seven in three innings of work.

FRANCIS PARKER   000 -       0   0   3

ST. XAVIER             (12)8x -   20   10   0

WP – Cooper Mattingly (5-1). LP – Jack Christensen (5-5).

Sixth Region quarterfinals

Pleasure Ridge Park 4, Bullitt East 3

Deuce Harris scored the winning run on a throwing error in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the No. 5 Panthers (34-3) the victory over the visiting Chargers (20-13).

PRP freshman pitcher Joey Dudeck improved to 8-0 this season, allowing four hits and two walks and striking out seven in seven innings.

Harris led PRP at the plate, going 2 for 3 with two runs scored. PRP, a six-time state champion, is seeking its first regional title since 2019.

The Panthers will face North Bullitt at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in a regional semifinal at U of L.

Luke Renfrow homered for Bullitt East

BULLITT EAST                   000   120   0 -   3   4   2

PLEASURE RIDGE PARK   110   010   1 -   4   6   2

WP – Joey Dudeck (8-0). LP – Devin Elder (3-4).

North Bullitt 7, Butler 2

Dylan Hornback homered and drove in three runs to lead the Eagles (23-14) over the host Bears (19-17).

Luke Deitchman went 2 for 3 with a double and three RBIs for North Bullitt, which scored four runs in the fourth inning to break open a 2-2 game.

Senior pitcher Brady Wooldridge (6-3) went the distance, allowing five hits and five walks and striking out two.

Ayden Clemons and Austin Malone had RBIs for Butler.

NORTH BULLITT   002  401   0 -   7   7   1

BUTLER                 101   000   0 -   2  5    0

WP – Brady Wooldridge (6-3). LP – Carter Reitz (4-6).

Bullitt Central 4, Holy Cross 3

Jordan Powell’s RBI single in the fifth inning broke a 3-3 tie and helped host Bullitt Central beat Holy Cross.

Powell (6-2) also got the win on the mound, allowing nine hits and no walks and striking out five in seven innings. Beau Cook homered and also scored the go-ahead run on Powell’s single.

Bullitt Central is in the Sixth Region semifinals for the second straight year and will face the Fern Creek at 8 p.m. Tuesday at U of L.

Tyler Manning was 3 for 4 and scored two runs for Holy Cross.

HOLY CROSS           011   100   0 -   3   9   1

BULLITT CENTRAL 002   110   x -   4   6   3

WP – Jordan Powell (6-2). LP – Tyler Manning (5-3).

Fern Creek 6, DeSales 1

Senior Colin Knoop (7-4) pitched a four-hitter and struck out 10 to lead the host Tigers (18-14) over the Colts (23-14).

Knoop also led the Tigers at the plate, going 2 for 3 with two RBIs. Malick Saunders also drove in two runs.

Cole Thompson had an RBI single for DeSales.

DESALES        000   001   0 -   1   4   2

FERN CREEK  200   040   x -   6   7   1

WP – Colin Knoop (7-4). LP – Matthew Mulhall (5-3).

Eighth Region quarterfinals

South Oldham 7, Walton-Verona 3

Luke Belardo and Gavin Donnelly homered to lead the host Dragons (20-13) over the Bearcats (21-11).

Kain Vorster went 3 for 4 with two RBIs to lead South Oldham’s nine-hit attack. Belardo and Donnelly both had two hits.

South Oldham pitcher Davis Gunn (3-2) allowed six hits, walked three and struck out 10 in seven innings.

South Oldham will face the Owen County-Woodford County winner at 8 p.m. Thursday in a regional semifinal at U of L.

WALTON-VERONA   001   020   0 – 3   6   1

SOUTH OLDHAM     121   201   x -   7   9   1

WP – Davis Gunn (3-2). LP – Mason Howard (7-4).

Reach sports reporter Prince James Story at pstory@gannett.com and follow him on X at @PrinceJStory. Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Follow on X @kyhighs.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Sixth, Seventh, Eighth Region baseball tournaments: See who advanced in Monday's action