Felicity baseball falls in district final

For the first time in nearly 30 years, the Felicity-Franklin High School baseball team found itself in a district final.

The elusive district championship still has not found it’s way to Felicity, as the Cardinals fell to Russia 4-0 at Dixie High School on Thursday, May 27.

Russia struck for a 1-0 lead in the first inning. A leadoff triple and a single made it a 1-0 game with nobody out, but Garrett Taulbee was able to induce a fielder’s choice groundout, a flyout and a lineout to end the inning.

Austin Hutson drew a leadoff walk in Felicity’s half of the first, but the snakebitten Cardinals’ offense couldn’t muster anything other than a two-out walk. A strikeout looking ended that frame.

Russia scored two more runs in the top of the third on three singles and an error. The third run came in on a bases-loaded hit by pitch. A sacrifice fly in the fifth inning plated the game’s final run.

Taulbee singled to center with one out in the sixth, but the next batter hit into a double play to end the inning. The Cardinals were retired in order in the bottom of the seventh.

Russia improved to 25-5 on the season with the win. Xavier Philpot has helped the Radiers to a number of those victories, having earned first-team all-Shelby County Athletic League status this season.

He showed that talent against the Cardinals, holding Felicity to two hits and two walks over six innings. Philpot struck out eight batters.

“That’s a good pitcher,” Felicity head coach Ryan Taulbee said. “He had a nasty curve ball and kept our guys off-balance. We hit the ball and we hit the ball hard, we just hit it right to somebody.”

For his part, Garrett Taulbee matched Philpot throw-for-throw. Taulbee allowed four runs (two earned) over seven innings, striking out five. He didn’t walk a batter and retired the last six hitters in a row.

“He’s just a workhorse,” Ryan Taulbee said. “He usually gets stronger as the game goes on. That’s a great hitting team. We had some bobbles here and there but we made plays.”

Taulbee, Grant Carter and Jaden Smith recorded base hits for Felicity. Hutson and Connor Ninichuck reached base via walks.

Felicity finishes the season 12-9 overall and district runners-up. That marked the team’s first appearance in a district final since falling to Reading 2-1 in the 1992 Division II district championship. Their head coach is confident the team is in position to make another trip to the district finals in 2022.

“We have no seniors,” Ryan Taulbee said. “Everybody’s back and we’re going to make a bigger run at it next year.”