Henderson County plated two runs in the final inning to secure a 6-5 walk-off win over Lyon County Thursday in a battle of two of the top softball teams in the region.
Down 5-4 in the seventh, Haleigh Beck knocked a one-out double to left. With two outs, JaMaya Byrum doubled home Beck to tie the game. Julianna Hibbs then reached on an error that scored Byrum with the winning run.
Lyon County struck first in the game with a four-run first inning. Sydney Melton followed a Calista Collins double with a single to right. Melton finished the game 1-for-4 and saw her five-game streak of at least one home run end.
Kaelyn Conger, Gracen Wynn, and Katelyn Dykes each followed with RBI singles.
In the home half of the first, Taylor Troutman hit one of three Henderson County home runs in the contest. Her two-run shot to center cut the Lyon lead in half at 4-2.
Lyon added a run in the second on an RBI groundout by Melton.
Hallie McCracken and Beck launched solo home runs in the second to cut the deficit to 5-4.
The game then turned into a pitchers’ duel over the next four innings. Conger didn’t allow a hit in the third through six innings and struck out six. Henderson’s Kelsie Hill allowed three hits and struck out four over the same time.
Lyon County outhit Henderson 12-7 but missed out on several scoring chances. Lyon stranded seven runners in scoring position and had two runners thrown out at home.
Collins was 4-for-4 with a double, while Lauren Davis and Conger each had two hits for the Lady Lyons.
Anna Willett and Beck each had two hits for Henderson County. All seven of Henderson’s hits went for extra bases.
Conger struck out seven and allowed one earned run in five innings for Lyon, while Hill struck out five and didn’t allow a run over four innings in picking up the win.
Henderson County, who entered the game ranked No. 16 in the state, improved to 4-0. They were without a pair of players who were on the Lady Colonels’ basketball team that played in the Sweet 16 Thursday night at Rupp Arena.
Lyon County, ranked No. 25, dropped to 3-3 and will play Crittenden County Monday in the All A region semifinals.
