Baseball: Ravenwood rolls in rivalry showdown, takes over district lead

BRENTWOOD – The bats were hot again Tuesday for the Ravenwood High School baseball team.

The Raptors collected nine hits and used a five-run fourth inning to pull away for an 8-2 win over archival Brentwood in the first Battle of the Woods meeting of the season. Ravenwood also positioned itself atop the District 11-AAA standings while snapping a 12-game Bruins win streak.

“This one really felt good,” said Raptors catcher Andrew Dudas, who drove in four runs with a pair of doubles Tuesday. “I really think it’s just been our dugout and the energy we try to bring each night. That’s been really good for us and we have been able to swing the bats well.”

Ravenwood has collected 45 hits over a four-game stretch that was triggered after a 4-1 setback at Franklin last week, which also snapped the Raptors 12-game win streak. Ravenwood rebounded by blasting Summit – another team in the mix atop the league standings – 18-6 last week on a season-best 16 hits. They followed that performance with a 17-4 win at Columbia Central with 13 hits and held off Summit 6-4 Monday to sweep that series.

“They are as hot as any team in our area or maybe across the state,” admitted Brentwood coach Bill Moore, whose team lost for just the second time this season. “They are swinging it really well and the stretch that they are on, they aren’t doing it against lower level guys at all – these are tough teams.”

Austin Johnson, Myles Denton and Stephen Bell each added multiple hits Tuesday for the home-standing Raptors, who improved to 17-4 overall with just five district games remaining.

Dudas opened the scoring in the bottom of the third with two outs on a deep hit to left to score the first two runs. Bell drove in another run with a grounder to make it 3-0.

“The guys have just been dialing in,” Ravenwood coach Danny Borne said. “The offense has done a great job of putting balls in play. These guys have really bought in and aren’t trying to do too much.

“I think a big key for us tonight was Lucas Kocian on the mound. He gave us five strong, scoreless innings.”

Kocian produced five timely strikeouts and scattered four hits and three walks with no runs.

After Dudas and company gave Ravenwood the first three runs, Brentwood bounced right back. Brooks McDonnough singled with one out to left and Aaron Walton followed with a double. Kocian picked up the second out on a pop out, but loaded the bases with a two-out walk. The right-hander regrouped and fired three straight strikes to end the threat.

“I just knew I had to go at them there and I know I have a great defense behind me, so I did,” Kocian said. “I was just thinking fastballs all night and if I get ahead in the count, work my off-speed.”

Brentwood also loaded the bases to open the third, but Kocian picked up a strikeout and a soft grounder to first stranded the Bruins.

Moore said his team has been feasting on the mistakes of other teams especially during their 12-game win streak, but Ravenwood didn’t feed into the pressure Tuesday.

“Our kids have been very clutch of late,” Moore said. “We had our opportunities tonight with runners on third, but we couldn’t get a couple bunts down and we simply didn’t hit well situationally.

“We have to put this one behind us and move on.”

The Raptors plated five runs in the fourth on a Denton double, the other two-run double by Dudas, a Bell single and a Brentwood error.

Tyler Petro produced one of several big defensive plays in the sixth for the Ravenwood defense when he tracked a deep McDonnough hit in center and made a diving grab for the first out after Bobby Bevis entered in relief. Denton snagged a bullet to third to close that frame.

“We have some great people in the outfield and infield that produce big plays and really help your confidence as a pitcher,” Kocian said. “I think we will just try to come out with the same energy and hopefully we can keep this going and keep the bats going as well.”

Brentwood (18-2) hosts the second game of the series Thursday. Ravenwood closes the week with a home game against Nolensville Friday.

Brentwood loads the bases at Ravenwood with a walk and pair of singles, but the Raptors get out of the top of the third here ... still scoreless in this District 11-AAA showdown for first. pic.twitter.com/hwYbw0IBIr

— Charles Pulliam (@cspulliam) April 21, 2021

Ravenwood 8, Brentwood 2

BHS 000 000 2 – 2 7 1

RHS 003 500 X – 8 9 1

WP – Lucas Kocian. LP – Jack Morris.

BHS – Sam Billington 1-3, Andrew Billington 0-4, Ben Caylor 0-2, Scott Collins 1-4, Brooks McDonnough 2-4, Aaron Walton 2-4, Cade Cauthen 0-2, Jennings Sparks 0-2, Matthew Coggin 1-3.

RHS – Austin Johnson 2-4, Ben Severance 0-4, Myles Denton 2-4, Blake Bevis 0-1, Ryan Augustini 0-3, Andrew Dudas 2-2, Stephen Bell 2-3, Tyler Petro 1-2, Connor Paul 0-1, Nic Raum 0-3.

2B – Walton, Dudas 2, Denton. RBIs – Walton 2, Dudas 4, Bell 2, Denton. SB – Denton. Team LOB – BHS 11, RHS 8.