Lexington Herald-Leader (KY)
June 19, 2003
Section: Sports
Edition: Bluegrass
Page: D8
ELLIS, DUNBAR STRONG IN 5-0 WIN IN OPENER
Mike Fields, Herald-Leader Staff Writer
They could have used the huge video screen in center field at Applebee’s Park last night to show a replay of any number of Paul Dunbar’s previous playoff victories.
Top-ranked Dunbar beat the Webster County Trojans 5-0 in the first round of the Big Blue Nation/KHSAA State Baseball Tournament last night in front of 2,368 fans.
The win sure looked familiar to Bulldog supporters.
Josh Ellis pitched his fifth superb game of the post-season and ran his season record to 11-0. He didn’t ring up as many strikeouts as usual — he fanned five — but he was still in control most of the way.
He got in a little trouble in the fifth when Webster County’s first two batters got on base, but Ellis escaped with a strikeout and a double-play line-out to short.
Ellis, who has signed with Wake Forest, has worked 34 innings in the playoffs, giving up 16 hits and striking out 45.
Top-ranked Dunbar (39-4) advances to play Apollo (29-12) in Friday’s semifinals.
Because Ellis pitched only six innings last night — sophomore Robby Reeves took over in the seventh — the senior right-hander is eligible to go in Saturday’s finals if the Bulldogs get there.
Dunbar jumped ahead of Webster County 1-0 when Rob Scott led off the game with a walk, advanced to second on a single and came home on a throwing error.
The Bulldogs made it 2-0 in the second on Kevin Paddock’s double, another Webster County error, and Mark Wethington’s groundout.
Dustin Morrow and Ellis pounded back-to-back doubles in the third to push the margin to 3-0. The way Ellis has pitched this year, the lead looked insurmountable.
Dunbar added some insurance in the seventh on Paddock’s two-run single.
This was Webster County’s third consecutive trip to the state tournament, and its third consecutive first-round loss. The Trojans didn’t help themselves last night, making five errors.
PAUL DUNBAR 5, WEBSTER CO. 0
PAUL DUNBAR WEBSTER COUNTY
ab r h bi ab r h bi
Scott ss 3 1 1 0 Bridwell lf 3 0 1 0
Dunn 2b 4 1 1 0 Dunbar cf 2 0 1 0
D. Morrow 1b 4 1 1 0 Gibson c 2 0 1 0
Ellis p 3 1 1 1 Dunn ss 3 0 0 0
J. Morrow pr 0 0 0 0 Johnson p 3 0 0 0
Reeves p 0 0 0 0 Brinkley rf 3 0 1 0
Hunt rf 3 0 0 0 Knight 3b 2 0 0 0
Paddock dh 4 1 2 2 Woods pr 0 0 0 0
Stanley c 3 0 1 0 Moser 1b 3 0 0 0
Vyverberg pr/rf 0 0 0 0 Patmore 2b 2 0 0 0
Wethington lf 3 0 0 1
Bennett cf 3 0 0 0
Lashbrook 3b 0 0 0 0
Totals 30 5 7 4 Totals 23 0 4 0
Paul Dunbar 111 000 2–5
Webster Co. 000 000 0–0
E–Bridwell, Dunn, Johnson, Patmore 2. DP–Paul Dunbar 1. LOB–Dunbar 7, Webster Co. 5. 2B–Scott, D. Morrow, Ellis, Paddock. SB–Scott, Dunn. CS–Paddock, Bridwell.
IP H R ER BB SO
Paul Dunbar
Ellis W, 11-0 6 4 0 0 3 5
Reeves 1 0 0 0 0 3
Webster Co.
Johnson L, 6-5 7 7 5 2 3 7
WP–Ellis. PB–Gibson.
Umpires–Home, John Pratt; First, Andy Strain; Second, Jimmy Cecil; Third, Tery Apple.
T–2:12. A–2,368.
– Cold
Warm
Stationary