A year after losing in the Kentucky All “A” Classic Statewide Baseball Tournament Championship, Owensboro Catholic is eyeing its return.
Barrett Evans set the tone for the Aces in their 3rd Region All “A” Tournament opener, holding McLean County’s offense to two hits over five shutout innings. While Evans shoved on the mound, the bats roared alive as Owensboro Catholic shutout the Cougars 10-0 to advance to the 3rd Region All “A” Tournament Championship, where Trinity (Whitesville) awaits them.
“Our goal is to get to that All “A” Statewide Tournament, especially because it’s here,” Owensboro Catholic Head Coach Jody Hamilton said. “I thought Barrett put together a good start for us, and we put the ball in play and scored some runs.”
The Aces grabbed a quick 4-0 first-inning lead – jump-started by an Alex Hood RBI single. After Jaxson White walked, Mason Russelburg was hit by a pitch, scoring Drew Miles. A fielding error scored a third run, before a Tucker Evans bases-loaded walk made it a 4-0 ball game.
An inning later, a Hood two-run double pushed the lead to 6-0. Hood finished the evening a homerun short of the cycle, going 3-3 with a walk and three RBIs.
Hood’s double forced the Cougars into a pitching change, and Layden Bozarth was leaned on to stop the bleeding. The senior kept the Aces bats off-balanced, holding them to one run over 2 2/3 innings.
The Aces added one run in the third, two in the fifth, and one in the sixth to enact the mercy rule. Barrett Evans went 3-3 with two RBIs, Mason Moser finished 2-2 and scored four runs, and White drove in a run. Myles Grant took the ball in the sixth, throwing a scoreless inning, walking one and striking out three.
For the Cougars, Jayden Taylor and Will Gatton had the team’s two lone hits, while Groves drew a walk.
Raiders overwhelm Hornets thanks to combined no-hitter
Just a few weeks after allowing 10 runs to Hancock County on seven hits, Trinity (Whitesville’s) pitching staff baffled their opponents in the rematch – a 4-2 win to send the Raiders to the 3rd Region All “A” Tournament Championship, scheduled for tonight.
A pair of fielding errors in the second and fourth innings handed the Hornets an early 2-0 lead. Unfazed, RJ Cecil continued to aggravate Hancock County’s offense – holding them hitless over six innings. The junior struggled with command at times – issuing six walks – yet found a way to limit the damage.
In the bottom of the fourth, a Kayin Howard single and Isaac Hernandez groundout tied the game. Two pitches later, Harrison Barnett flew out to centerfield to drive in Howard. Hernandez delivered a much-needed insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when he grounded into his second fielder’s choice of the night.
With Cecil sitting at 86 pitches in the bottom of the seventh, Hernandez took the ball, throwing a perfect inning to close out the game and secure the combined no-hitter.
“The team has been playing solid ball the last four games, and they continued that trend tonight,” Trinity (Whitesville) Head Coach Matt Wright said. “They’ve been playing competitively, and I’m proud of how they keep battling inning after inning. RJ Cecil pitched another great game, and our defense was solid behind him. Our offense came up big at the right times with quality at bats when we needed them.”
For the Raiders, Cale Boarman and Grant Howard both went 1-3, while Kayin Howard finished 2-3 with two RBIs. Cecil threw six no hit innings, allowing two unearned runs and striking out four.
For the Hornets, Jacob Shultz walked twice, while Dylan Mucker and Noah Keown both scored. Mucker was efficient on the mound, allowing one earned run over five innings, striking out three, while Keown and Porter Hay both pitched in relief.
