A two-out, bases-clearing triple by Leyton Patterson provided Paducah Tilghman with its biggest hit of the night and led the state’s No. 11-ranked Blue Tornado to a 12-2 run-shortened win over the Christian County High School baseball team Friday.
Mere hours after head coach Trey Wheeler announced he would be stepping down as the Colonels’ skipper at the end of the 2021 season, to step full time into the school’s athletic director position, CCHS ran into a Tilghman squad that was looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking 12-inning loss to rival McCracken County just two days prior.
County junior Elijah Underhill (1-5) struck out five and gave up just one earned run in three innings at Brooks Stadium, but was saddled with his fifth loss of the year. Underhill tried to get the Cols going early at the plate, doubling to start the game, but he was stranded in a scoreless first inning.
The Colonels tried another rally in the top of the fourth, putting four of their first six batters on base and grabbing a pair of runs on George Forrest’s two-out, two-run single, but that cut Paducah Tilghman’s lead to 4-2 and was all CCHS (3-13) would be able to muster on the road.
During their biggest inning of the contest, the Blue Tornado struck for six runs in the fourth — all on just one hit. Tilghman got a sacrifice fly from Jaylen Seay, RBI groundout from Gage Griggs, and a bases-loaded walk from Devin Kiebler before Patterson delivered the big blow with the three-run triple to give PTHS a 10-2 advantage, and eventually its 17th win in 19 games.
Christian County, which suffered its fifth straight loss, actually out-hit its opponent 5-4. Underhill and senior Chance Henderson each had two of those knocks. Forrest, who was also hit by a pitch during the affair, had the other on the aforementioned two-run single. Tilghman senior Zion LaGrone had the biggest night of anyone at the dish, finishing 1-for-1 with three RBIs, two runs, two walks, and a stolen base.
Caleb Payne (5-1) rang up five strikeouts in the five-inning complete-game victory. He gave us five hits and two runs (neither earned), while walking just one — a no-out free pass to Houston George in the fourth inning. Payne’s performance came 48 hours after teammate and Louisville commit Justin West tied a state record with 20 strikeouts in a 3-2, 12-inning loss to No. 5 McCracken.
The Colonels will try to end their losing streak during a May 10 matchup at Logan County. The Cougars (11-8) have won four straight games, including a 10-7 triumph Friday at Hopkinsville.
