With a chance to blow the game open in the bottom of the first, Owensboro Catholic’s Mason Moser doubled to clear the bases and put his team up 5-1. That was all starting pitcher Barrett Evans needed, gutting through six impressive innings, allowing only one run and striking out six – en route to a 9-1 win over McLean Count to advance to the 3rd Region Semis.
“We had a scouting report, and they don’t like the fastball in,” Evans said. “So, we threw the fastball in a lot and the curve ball away. It helped us out really well.”
The Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first after Hayden Hudson doubled home Layden Bozarth. Jax Lee started on the mound for McLean County and after recording two outs, he started to struggle with control. He issued back-to-back walks to tie the game before allowing RBI hits to Alex Wood and Moser.
From there, both pitchers settled in and it wasn’t until the bottom of the fourth when the Aces were able to strike again. Jax Lee walked in a run before Jake Murphy singled home Jaelin Groves to make it 7-1. The Cougars threatened to score in the fifth and sixth innings, but were unable to find the clutch hit.
RBI doubles by Jaxson White in the fifth and Murphy in the sixth, pushed the lead to 9-1. Murphy finished 3-3 with three RBIs, while White went 3-4. After six excellent innings by Evans, Gentry Atwell pitched a scoreless seventh, striking out two.
For the Cougars, Brooks Lynam and Bozarth both had a pair of hits, while Hudson and Groves each had a hit.
“We got off to a good start, but we struggled a bit in the first inning,” McLean County head coach Darren Lynam said. “They put together some good at-bats, got a couple of hits, got out ahead of us, and we had a tough time from there.”
Despite the loss, it was a successful season for McLean County, advancing to the 3rd Region Tournament for the first time since 2011.
Breckinridge County awaits the Aces in the semis, cruising past Edmonson County 6-3 in the first round. The two teams split this season, with the Fighting Tigers winning the most recent matchup 4-3. First pitch is set for 5:30 pm.
Ray’s complete game shutout lifts Owensboro past Muhlenberg County
Before even stepping on the mound in the bottom of the first, the Red Devils’ Cayden Ray was already handed a 1-0 lead from his offense. After walking two in the bottom of the first, Ray pitched himself out of the jam and never really ran into trouble again. The senior recorded his playoff moment, throwing a complete game shutout with eight strikeouts, fueling Owensboro to a 5-0 win over Muhlenberg County and a spot in the 3rd Region Semis.
“Cayden Ray pitched his butt off and our defense played great behind him,” Owensboro head coach Jake Fiorella said. “Offensively, we did what we had to do and capitalized on opportunities to score. I’m really proud of our team.”
Evan Hampton and Eli Hampton started off the game with back to back walks, before Ty Ashley singled to quickly make it 1-0. An inning later, Evan Hampton drove in Trevor DeLacey on a fielders choice that resulted in an error. Ray hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield and after an errant overthrow, two runs scored to push the lead to 4-0. Brady Benjamin added an insurance run on a sac fly in the fifth.
Ty Ashley finished 2-3 with an RBI, while DeLacey, Ray, and Evan Hampton all had hits. Awaiting Owensboro in the semis is Meade County, which is fresh off a 4-0 shutout win over Grayson County in the opening round. In the team’s lone matchup of the year, Owensboro was shutout 2-0. First pitch is set for 7:30 pm, but is subject to change depending on the first semi-final game.
