LEXINGTON — It wasn't long ago that Scott County was the team enjoying a streak of three consecutive 42nd District baseball championships, and the Cardinals' opponents from Lexington were well acquainted with a cold, hard reality.
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If you wanted to have a fighting chance against SC between 2016 and 2018, it required eliminating most if not all the gnawing, nagging mistakes that give an already good team extra outs and a greater chance to beat you.
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SC has found that cleat on the other foot against Sayre the past three seasons, and the trend continued Thursday in a 9-4 verdict at Bryan Station that sealed a three-peat for the Spartans.
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Three errors, two unearned runs and intermittent issues with Sayre's small-ball game cost Scott County (20-15) a chance at its first district championship in five years.
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After rallying from an early 2-0 deficit to take the lead on a bases-clearing double by Shawn Rowe in the top of the third inning, the Cardinals gave up a matching three runs in the bottom of that frame and were relegated to catch-up mode for the duration.
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Rowe did it again with a two-out single to make it 5-4 in the fifth. SC mishandled a bunt in that same inning, also with two down, and Sayre (28-8) padded its lead with a pair of runs.
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The Spartans put it away with an additional two tallies in the bottom of the sixth.
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Paul Garner, Jay Wilson, Landon Whitson and Justin Stevenson each had a hit to complement Rowe's double and single.
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Garner, Rowe and Jack Willhite, the winning pitcher in the semifinals, were named to the all-tournament team.
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Scott County was already assured of an appearance in the 11th Region tournament. Willhite, who made a habit of defeating top-25 competition during the season, was on the mound when the Cardinals traveled to Madison Central for a quarterfinal clash Monday after press time.
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Senior shortstop Dane Visser was 4-for-4 with five RBI for Sayre, which banged out 10 hits against three Scott County pitchers.
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Charlie Slabaugh and Graham Johnson each added two hits to propel the Spartans. Addie Stockham and Reed Beatty both knocked in a run.
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Slabaugh's leadoff line drive to center was the only hard-hit ball of Sayre's opening statement.
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Raymond Saatman was hit by Brennan Liebenauer's pitch with a full count before the Cardinals botched a bunt by Grady Johnson to load the bases with nobody out.
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Stockham walked to push home the initial run. Liebenauer struck out Graham Johnson on three pitches before Visser beat out an infield single to make it 2-0.
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Scott County set the table with three consecutive singles in the third. Whitson and Stevenson each delivered sharply to left field before Garner hustled down the line and narrowly beat out his bunt for another hit.
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Sayre pitcher Owen Murphy rallied to strike out both Sebastian Arden and Wilson, but Rowe ripped his next delivery to the gap in left center and vaulted the Cardinals in front.
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Murphy coaxed a ground ball from Luke Valencia to Stockham at first for the escape.
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Stockham's second walk of the evening, Graham Johnson's base hit and a wild pitch put the tying and go-ahead runs into scoring position for Visser's single to left.
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Beatty followed a sacrifice bunt with an RBI single for a 5-3 advantage.
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In the fifth, Arden walked, advanced on a ground out and finished the journey on Rowe's hit to center.
