Owensboro’s offense put on a show on Thursday, while the Panthers couldn’t muster up enough offense and fell to Bowling Green at home.
Owensboro vs. Trinity
Despite grabbing a lead after the first inning, the Raiders couldn’t halt Owensboro’s offense—led by freshman Blake Kimbrell’s 3-3 day—and ultimately fell 15-3 at home on Thursday.
After the Red Devils got a run in the top of the first, Trinity responded with a quick rally in the bottom half of the inning. With runners in scoring position thanks to a one-out single and double, a line drive from junior Gavin Howard turned into an error that led to a 2-1 lead for the Raiders.
A double play ended the bottom of the first and then the Red Devils’ offense kicked it into gear. Freshman Brady Benjamin opened up the scoring with a one-out RBI double to tie the game, before back-to-back Trinity errors made it a 3-2 ballgame.
After eighth grader Evan Hampton, Elijah Hampton was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs. Kimbrell made the Raiders pay, clearing the bases with a double to give Owensboro a 6-2 lead.
The Raiders got a run back in the bottom of the third, but Owensboro’s bats stayed hot. The Red Devils grabbed three in the top of the fourth, before a Kimbrell three-run homer helped them rattle off five runs in the fifth to help them secure the 15-3 short-game win.
Kimbrell stole the day, going 3-3 while hitting a home run and tallying seven RBIs on the day. Freshman Will Hume was the only other player to have two RBIs, while Elijah Hampton, junior Connor Hallmark, senior Kindrick Williams and Benjamin all recorded one for Owensboro.
Freshman Hayden Aull was the only Raider to have more than one hit, while Howard was responsible for the lone RBI on the day. Junior Landon Huff had a rough start on the mound, giving up 10 runs—five earned—on seven hits and four walks while striking out six.
Senior Jacob Mitchell allowed three unearned runs on three hits and two walks while striking out four in the start for the Red Devils, while freshman Cayden Ray blanked Trinity in the fifth out of the bullpen.
Owensboro moves to 4-5 overall with the win, as they will take a couple of days before returning to game action when they compete in the Fort Walton Beach Bash against Campbellsville at 6 p.m. on April 3.
Meanwhile, Trinity falls to 1-7 overall and will look to bounce back after a week off when they take on Owensboro Knights Christian at noon on April 9.
Daviess County vs. Bowling Green
Bowling Green’s steady offense was a key factor on Thursday, helping them grab a 15-5 win over the Panthers on the road.
The Purples wasted no time grabbing a lead, getting two runs in the top of the first. Daviess County was able to get one back in the bottom half of the inning, but then Bowling Green ramped up the production.
While the Panthers got a sacrifice fly from sophomore Lake Wilson in the bottom of the third, the Purples got a run in the second, third and fourth, before catching fire late.
Up 5-2 entering the last two innings of play, Bowling Green countered Daviess County’s three runs with 10. The Purples got three in the top of the sixth, a plethora of free bases and base knocks helped them grab seven runs in the seventh to help them secure the 15-5 win.
Senior Owen Payne, Wilson, junior Jackson Loucks and junior Layton Huskisson all recorded RBIs on the day, while the Panthers recorded seven hits as a team.
Following the loss, Daviess County falls to 6-3 overall before they head to the Sunshine State to compete in the Fort Walton Beach Bash and compete against Marion County in its first game at noon on April 3.
