Offensive struggles plagued Apollo on Monday, as senior Brooke Hamilton struck out 12 in a 6-0 Lady Aces win to earn a spot in the 9th District Championship.
It was a slow start to the contest, with Owensboro Catholic sophomore Tyranda Stuart owning the lone hit in a 0-0 ballgame heading into the bottom of the third. But that was where the Lady Aces scored the first runs of the night, getting a two-run home run from senior Bailey Hamilton and an RBI single from junior Ruth Jones to make it a 3-0 game.
After a sacrifice bunt by senior Lilli Grant, a passed ball let Jones score and gave Owensboro Catholic a 4-0 lead into the fourth. The E-gals got their first hit of the game from YEAR Taylor Clark in the top of the fourth, but a hit from senior Emmie Bullington in the fifth would be the only hits of the night, as Apollo fell short to the Lady Aces 6-0.
Bullington took the loss in her 2 ⅓ innings start, allowing four earned runs on four hits, and four walks while striking out a pair. Clark was the only other reliever to surrender a run, doing so on two hits and four walks.
Brooke Hamilton dominated in the circle for Owensboro Catholic with a 12-strikeout, two-hit complete-game performance, while her sister Bailey led the way at the plate with a 2-3 day and three RBIs. Jones and freshman Hannah Robbins chipped in as well, driving in a run each on the night.
The E-gals end the season at 14-13 overall with the loss, as the Lady Aces move to 21-10 and will take on Daviess County in the 9th District Championship at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
