Owensboro fell short in a road matchup with Breckinridge County, while Owensboro Catholic and Apollo’s offense pushed them past Henderson County and Ohio County in their respective matchups.
Owensboro vs Breckinridge County
A back and forth fifth inning was the deciding factor in a low-scoring affair between the Red Devils and Breckinridge County on Tuesday, while it was the Fighting Tigers who had the slight edge and came out on top with a 4-3 win at home.
Owensboro got rolling in the top of the fifth with a leadoff single from eighth grader Ty Ashley, while an error the following at-bat and another two batters later plated the first run of the game. An RBI groundout from freshman Evan Hampton and a two-out RBI single from sophomore Cayden Ray followed, giving the Red Devils a 3-0 lead going into the bottom half of the inning.
The Fighting Tigers got the answer they were looking for at the plate though, getting back-to-back singles to start the inning and then three consecutive two-out Owensboro errors that cost them the lead at 4-3 going into the sixth. That would be all she wrote for the Red Devils for the remainder of the game, getting just one more hit in the final two innings en route to the 4-3 road loss.
Hampton and Ray led the way at the plate with an RBI each, while sophomore Trevor DeLacey got hit with the loss with four runs surrendered—none of them earned—on six hits and a walk while striking out four in his 5 ⅔ innings start. Junior Kaleb Ashley got the other lone out in the second straight loss for Owensboro.
The Red Devils now have a day break before returning to action, looking to bounce back in a district matchup with Owensboro Catholic at 6 p.m. on Thursday.
Owensboro Catholic vs Henderson County
The Aces hot start at the plate on Tuesday helped them snap their two-game losing streak at home, defeating Henderson County 8-2.
While it was the Colonels that got one the board in the top of the first with a run on an Owensboro Catholic error, it was the Aces who had the momentum early on. The green and white quickly loaded the bases to start the bottom of the second with a walk, error and fielder’s choice, with a subsequent RBI single from junior Deuce Sims and RBI double play from seventh grader Jaxson White to take a 2-1 lead into the third.
Owensboro Catholic caught fire in the third as well, as a hit by pitch, walk and sac bunt set up an RBI single for junior Ben Hyland that started a six-run inning to give them an 8-1 lead heading into the fourth. That would be all the Aces would need as well, allowing just one more run en route to the 8-2 victory.
Sims led the way at the plate with a pair of RBIs, while Hyland, senior Jamison Wall, sophomore Brady Atwell and junior Elijah Blair all added one each. Senior Grant Parson picked up the win in his four-inning start, allowing one earned run on two hits and five walks, while striking out eight.
Wall handled the final three innings of play, allowing just two hits and striking out one to close out the win. Owensboro Catholic advances to 12-6 overall with the win, as they now look to stay undefeated in district play with a road matchup against Owensboro set for 6 p.m. on Thursday.
Apollo vs Ohio County
Stront offense at the beginning and tail end of a road matchup for Apollo on Tuesday helped them win the battle of the Eagles, topping Ohio County 7-1.
Apollo took advantage of some Ohio County miscues to set the tone for the game, getting a run on an error in the first and a wild pitch in the top of the second to take a 2-0 lead into the third. Ohio County went on to get one run in the bottom of the third, but Apollo’s pitching staff had their number and did not allow a run the rest of the game—going on to grab five in the top of the seventh to seal the 7-1 win.
Eighth grader Ty Lillpop picked up the win in his five-inning start, allowing one earned run on two hits and three walks while striking out one on Tuesday. Sophomore Carter Kimmel picked up the six-out save as well, allowing no runs, walk or hits while striking out one to close the door.
Sophomore Grayson Smith and senior Will Strode led the way at the plate with a pair of hits and a pair of RBIs, while senior Sam Holder got one RBI as well. Apollo advances to 14-6 overall with their third straight win, looking to carry their momentum into a home district game with Daviess County at 6 p.m. on Thursday.
