Josh Maddox was in control on the mound and got plenty of help from his offense as Apollo rolled to a six-inning, 10-0 victory over Owensboro Catholic for a big 9th District baseball win.
Maddox only allowed three hits Wednesday night, and the Eagles (12-11, 2-2 9th District) won their fourth game in a row following a string of six losses. For the Aces (15-9, 3-1), it’s the third straight loss following a nine-game win streak.
“Getting ahead in the count was big,” Maddox said. “They’re a good battling team and they can foul off anything. They were hitting the ball but our defense was really working tonight.”
While Maddox was dealing on the mound, the Apollo offense was sharp at the plate. They didn’t strike out once, and some aggressive baserunning helped add a few extra runs.
The Eagles got on the board right away with a two-out rally in the first inning. Noah Stewart singled to left field to drive in Max Holder from second, and Evan Hodskins also scored on the play. Stewart got caught in a rundown between first and second base, allowing Hodskins to take third. Hodskins then made it to home plate and beat the throw for a 2-0 lead.
Apollo doubled their lead in the fourth when a deep fly ball by Jakob Helms drove in Daylin Crabtree, and courtesy runner Cameron Baker scored on a sac fly by Holder.
Head said it was good to build an early lead, and it’s a result of the team really focusing on the game plan.
“Any coach will tell you it’s a race to see who scores first, but I think the more important thing is how both teams respond to that,” he said. “I’m really proud of our guys because they continue to buy into our approach, and I think we’re starting to see more and more of it.”
Apollo threatened right away in the sixth inning with a pair of leadoff walks, and they plated two runs before recording an out. The first two outs resulted in two more runs, and a hard-hit ball toward first by Tanner Klee allowed Maddox to score for a 10-0 advantage.
Maddox said having the run support allowed him to pitch more freely. He said the team has turned a corner and they are playing well heading into the final few weeks.
“That was great,” he said. “It’s so fun pitching when I know the rest of the team is out there working. We’re all getting our bats going. The confidence is different in the dugout and we all love it. We’re having a lot of fun right now.”
Head is hoping to continue reaping the rewards of his players buying in to the style of play Apollo is looking for. He’s happy for a big district win, but Head is looking at the big picture.
“It’s always nice to win, but the more important thing for us right now is that we’re seeing our guys play a brand of baseball that we’ve been trying to get them to adopt and take ownership of,” he said. “I think that’s the bigger takeaway for us today.”
Maddox got the win in five innings of work and struck out four, while Crabtree struck out two in an inning of relief. Catholic starter Hunter Small gave up four runs on six hits over 3.1 innings in the loss.
Holder led the Apollo offense with a pair of hits, and he scored twice while driving in three. Stewart had two hits and three RBIs. Catholic’s Andrew Wiman had the lone double of the game.
AHS 200-026—10-8-2
OCHS 000-000—0-3-2
WP: Maddox. LP: Small. 2B: Wiman.
