An offensive eruption in the fourth and fifth innings by Owensboro Catholic was the difference maker on Thursday, erasing the Red Devils eight-run lead and grabbing an 18-9 district win on the road.
The Aces got on the board first with a run in the top of the first, but it was Owensboro that was taking advantage of an array of free bases to take an 8-1 lead going into the third. Owensboro Catholic didn’t go away though, taking advantage of timely Red Devils miscues.
It was an array of errors, walks and hits that allowed the Aces to reclaim the lead at 9-8 with an eight-run bottom of the fourth. Owensboro Catholic kept its foot on the gas too, grabbing eight more in the bottom of the fifth, giving them more than enough momentum to walk away with an 18-9 road win.
Sophomore Cayden Ray didn’t have much help from his defense during his 3 ⅔ inning start, allowing nine unearned runs on just four hits and a walk, while striking out five. Junior Kaleb Ashley pitched a third of an inning and surrendered an earned run, while sophomore Will Rickard gave up seven runs—two earned on two hits and four walks while striking out a pair in an inning of relief.
Sophomore Brady Benjamin closed out the game, allowing one earned run on two hits, a walk and a strikeout. The middle of the lineup produced almost all of Owensboro’s offense, as freshman Evan Hampton (2), sophomore Blake Kimbrell (2), senior Connor Hallmark (2) and Ray (1) combined for eight runs while eighth grader Ty Ashley added one as well.
Junior Deuce Sims led the Aces at the plate with four RBI, while sophomore Parker Heistand had three, senior Grant Parson and seventh grader Tucker Evans had a pair each and senior Jamison Wall, junior Houston Flynn and sophomore Christopher Burns all had one each. Free bases hurt freshman Barrett Evans in his two-inning start, allowing one earned run—eight total—on four hits and four walks.
Nick Phister picked up the win in two innings of relief, allowing one earned run on four hits and a walk, while Wall handled the last two innings by allowing two hits and striking out two. Owensboro Catholic improves to 13-6 and 3-0 overall in district play with the win, now looking to carry that momentum into a home matchup with Todd County Central at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
The Red Devils on the other hand fall to 8-10 and 1-2 in district play with the loss, as they’ll look to bounce back with a road matchup against Trinity (Whitesville) coming up on Saturday at 10 a.m.
