Around The Diamond- Boyd Grant(ed) Trip to State Slater Named Tournament MVP

Boyd Grant(ed) Trip to State

Slater Named Tournament MVP

James Collier

For the Ashland Beacon

16th REGION BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

CHAMPIONSHIP

BOYD COUNTY 13 ROWAN COUNTY 3 (5 INNINGS)

It took Boyd County three innings to break through in the 16th Region Championship with Rowan County Saturday afternoon, but once the first run came, it was like an avalanche crushed the Vikings,

Boyd sent 17 batters to the plate while sending 11 runs to the plate in the home third as the Lions claimed the 2025 Region Championship, 13-3 in five innings. The Lions defended their home soil in the regional round and secured their first region title at home since 1994.

Grant Slater earned his second win of the tournament while going 3 for 3 at the dish with a pair of doubles and two RBIs. He struck out seven while allowing no hits or earned runs over 3 2/3 innings of work and was named the MVP of the tournament. Kaleb Kelley went 2 for 4 and delivered the game winning RBI with a flare to right center to put the run rule in effect. Conner Davis, Brogan Jones and Brody Biggs each drove in two runs in the winning effort.

Brayden Coleman, Caleb Gray and Davis joined Slater on the All-Tournament Team.

Boyd will face Region 12 champion Boyle County Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington, KY.

SEMIFINALS

BOYD COUNTY 10 FLEMING COUNTY 1

Fleming County had not made a trip to the regional semifinals in 14 years. The Panthers were dispatched in five innings in that contest by Boyd County.

Fast-forward to 2025 and the Lions made short work of the Panthers again, winning 10-1. Brayden Coleman tossed six innings of three hit baseball while giving up one unearned run and striking out six. He powered his second double of the tournament in the sixth. Alex Maynard, Conner Davis and Coleman each collected a pair of hits. Davis drove in three. Brody Biggs added a two RBI double.

ROWAN COUNTY 7 RUSSELL 5

Russell took control early in their first trip into the region semis since 2017, but Rowan County countered with six runs over the third and fourth innings to outlast the Red Devils, 7-5.

Both teams dented the scoreboard in the first with Rowan plating a run followed by two runs from Russell in the home half. Russell took a 3-1 lead after two complete, but Rowan took the lead for good with a four run third followed by a two run fourth to hang on for the win. Russell answered back with a run in the fourth and sixth but failed to get any closer. Kyle Mokas went 2 for 3 with a double and RBI. Elijah Hankins, Avery Lother, Jared Whitt and Grayson Kiser connected on hits for Russell.

Mokas and Hankins were named to the All-Tournament Team.

OPENING ROUND

BOYD COUNTY 2 RACELAND 0

With the two top pitchers on the bump to open the 2025 16th Region Tournament, any runs in the contest with Raceland and Boyd County were going to be at a premium.

Kadin Shore and Grant Slater dueled for the majority of the contest before a two-out, two RBI double by Brayden Coleman in the sixth gave the Lions a 2-0 edge over the Rams and that would be all they needed. Raceland threatened but failed to break through the scoreless barrier as Boyd advanced to the semis with a 2-0 win.

Slater held the Rams to only two hits over six innings of work. He struck out six. Shore allowed five hits and struck out five. Eli Lynd and Shore collected the lone Rams hits. Conner Davis, Josh Kelley, Caleb Gray and Slater joined Coleman in the hit’s column for the Lions.

Shore was named to the All-Tournament Team.

RUSSELL 6 ASHLAND 1

Ashland rode the hot hitting of Brady Marushi to take an early 1-0 lead on Russell while LJ Murphy carved up the Devils the first time through the order. The second time through, however, was nothing less than dominance by Russell as they plated two in the fourth and four more in the sixth to pull away in a 6-1 win.

Kyle Mokas opened the fourth with a leadoff double and Elijah Hankins followed with an RBI triple to even the game at 1-1. Avery Lother added an RBI single to move Russell ahead for good. Hayden McGuire doubled and drove in two. Keoni Anchetta also drove in a run. Mokas went the distance for the Devils, allowing four hits while striking out 11.

Marushi had two of the four Ashland hits. Connor Flowers and Parker Church had the other two. Marushi was named to the All-Tournament Team.