YSE File Photo
Despite being held scoreless for the first five innings Thursday, the Ohio County High School baseball team rallied for six runs in the bottom of the sixth and came from behind to defeat University Academy Heights 6-2 in Hartford.
The Eagles, who had lost two in a row coming in, only mustered four hits in the contest but loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth, following a walk, single, and batter hit by a pitch to start the frame. After tying the game at 2-all on Jayden Taylor RBI single, Mason Maddox gave his team the lead for good with a one-out RBI single to center. Ohio County scored during five consecutive at-bats.
UHA, which was trying to avoid its first two-game skid in 2023, jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Ben Stone’s run-scoring groundout in the top of the first. It brought home Ryan Luckey, who was plunked on the fifth pitch of the game. Jaiden Miles made it 2-0 in the third on an RBI single that gave Luckey (1-for-2) his second run scored of the night. That would be all Heights would muster after producing just four base runners the remainder of the contest.
Josh Pace (1-1) had a quality start by striking out five in five innings, but he walked a trio of Eagles and gave up two runs and two hits to earn his first loss of the season. Pace’s counterpart — Ohio County senior Jaylen Walker — did not fare in the decision, but had four strikeouts and allowed just one earned run in five innings. Maddox (1-0) earned the win with two near-perfect innings in his first appearance of the year.
Miles and Ian Tyler each had two hits, combining for four of UHA’s six overall. Walker went 0-for-2 but drew a walk, scored a run, and had an RBI. Matthew Smith hit his second double of the season during a pinch-hit AB. The other two Eagle hits were singles.
UHA (8-5) now has nearly a week off before taking on host Fort Campbell (2-15) on April 26. The Blazers previously defeated the Falcons 15-0 on March 16 in 8th District action. Heights is currently 2-1 in district games.
