State baseball: Dunbar 3, Apollo 2

Updates from the semifinals of the Fifth Third/KHSAA State Tournament at Applebee’s Park:

• Dunbar rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to win. Chris Wood’s two-out hit scored David Giuliani with the winning run.(Wood is shown at right celebrating.) Giuliani’s sharp single to right scored pinch runner Andrew Heim with the tying run with one out. The Bulldogs’ Casey Lucchese also tried to score on Giuliani’s hit but was thrown out at the plate on a strong throw from Apollo rightfielder Skyler Shown to catcher T.J. Daugherty. Dunbar ace Thomas Royse got the pitching win with one inning of relief.
• Dunbar is still kicking. The Bulldogs got a pair of doubles from David Giuliani and Chris Wood in the bottom of the sixth to cut Apollo’s lead to 2-1. Dunbar looked like it might keep its rally going when it had two on with two outs, rabut Matt Bracken was called out on a bang-bang play at first for the last out.
• Apollo got a two-out RBI single from Nick Hawkinson to pad its lead to 2-0 going into the bottom of the sixth inning. The Eagles are six outs away from reaching the state baseball finals for the first time. Dunbar has left nine runners on base so far tonight.
• We’ve played five innings and the upset is still brewing as Apollo leads 1-0. Dunbar has changed pitchers. Chad Richie has given way to Matt Bracken.
• Apollo has broken through with a run in the top of the third — ending a 16-inning scoreless string by Dunbar pitchers. The Eagles’ Skyler Shown drove in Cameron Hetcher, who was hit by a pitch, went to second on a passed ball and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt.
• It’s scoreless going into the third inning. Dunbar just wasted a great scoring opportunity. It loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the second but got nothing out of it. Casey Lucchese was thrown out trying to steal home. Did the batter miss the signal for a squeeze? We don’t know. Apollo pitcher Tyler Edge got the next two batters to fly out. We’ll see if Dunbar will end up paying for coming up empty.
• In tonight’s second game, it’s Dunbar (36-6) vs. Apollo (31-11).
• Dunbar beat Apollo 3-1 in the state semifinals in 2003 on its way to the title. The Eagles have never won the championship.
• Dunbar’s last four wins have been shutouts. On the season the Bulldogs have held opponents to one run or less 24 times in 42 games.