Ty Lillpop struck out 13 over seven shutout innings and drove in three runs at the plate as Apollo beat McLean County 14-0 to advance to the 3rd Region Championship game for the first time since 2023.
“These guys came out tonight and put themselves in a position to reach the goal they set back in March. You can’t ask for much more as a coach,” Apollo Head Coach Heath Hicks said. “Ty was unbelievable on the mound and was in complete control. It was just an efficient and dominant performance.”
After allowing a leadoff single to start the game, Lillpop locked in and retired 19 of the next 22 batters he faced. Scoreless entering the bottom of the third, Jackson Carder launched a two-run homer to put the Eagles on the board.
Helping himself out at the plate, Lillpop doubled home two in the fourth to push the lead to 4-0. Apollo added a run in the fifth when Braxton Gilbert scored on a wild pitch. Leading 5-0 entering the top of the fifth, the Eagles were able to open the floodgates, scoring nine runs on seven hits.
“We battled them for a good while tonight, until the wheels fell off in the seventh,” McLean County Head Coach Darren Lynam said. “As I told our players after the game, we had a tremendous season with breaking the wins record, winning the 10th District, and advancing to the 3rd Region semi-finals for the first time in 20 years. A lot of people don’t realize that’s a big accomplishment for schools our size, going against schools two to three times our size.”
For the Eagles, Lillpop finished 3-5 with three RBIs, Gunnar Hendricks, Ryleigh Logan, and Carder combined for three hits and six RBIs, and Geordyn Stevens, Ace Lillpop, and Jagger Pate all drove in runs.
“Offensively, we started out slow, and Jackson Carder came up and gave us the shot in the arm we needed,” Hicks said. “He had another great night at the plate and really got the offense rolling. Hopefully, we can keep the momentum going into the championship.”
For the Cougars, Will Gatton finished 1-2, and Jaelin Groves went 2-3. Corbin Martin started on the mound, allowing four runs over 4 2/3 innings, while Gatton and Groves both pitched in relief.
“We also had several players break individual records, and the team broke some records this year as well,” Lynam said. “Our five seniors had fine years and careers. Groves, Martin, and Bozarth have been with me for all four years I have been the baseball coach. They have been a part of winning 86 games in those four years. They should be proud of what they have accomplished.”
Awaiting Apollo in the 3rd Region Championship is Meade County, whom they narrowly lost to earlier in the year, 3-2.
Aces fall to Meade County
Playing in the 3rd Region semi-finals for a third straight year, Owensboro Catholic’s offense couldn’t find its stride, falling to Meade County 3-0. The Green Wave jumped out to a first inning 2-0 lead thanks to a fielders choice and a John Honaker RBI single.
Meade County padded their lead to 3-0 in the second on an RBI single by Grayson Rhodes. Rhodes was in control on the mound, striking out seven over seven no-hit innings, only allowing one base runner via hit by pitch.
Lane Hundley started on the mound for the Aces, allowing three earned runs over one inning, while Cal Murphy pitched six shutout innings in relief.
