With the district tournament slated to begin Monday, Lyon County’s bats are playing a dangerous game of hide and seek.
The Lyons were held to four hits Tuesday in a 1-0 loss to Murray at Jim Boyd Field in a matchup of perennial Class A powers in their respective regions.
While three runs in its past four games would normally be cause for concern, the Lyons have faced some tough pitching over the past week.
Murray junior Carson Tucker entered Tuersday’s game with a 2.39 ERA. He improved to 3-1 with four innings of three-hit baseball. Cody Garner closed the game by allowing just one hit over the final three innings for his second save. Neither Murray pitcher allowed a walk.
Lyon County’s pitching went toe to toe with the Tigers. Austin Spears gave up five hits in five innings and struck out three while walking one. He saw his season ERA tick up from 0.59 to 0.73.
The game’s only run came in the fifth inning when Dylan Jennings led off with a single. Spears got the next two outs, but a two-out walk to Collier Crouch kept the inning alive. After a wild pitch moved Jennings to third base, Tucker nubbed an infield single past Spears that plated the game’s only run.
It was just the second time this season Lyon County has been shut out and the 1-0 loss was Lyon’s first since a 2014 defeat at the hands of Caldwell County.
In addition to getting the win on the mound, Tucker had three hits from the leadoff spot for Murray.
John Bingham had two of Lyon County’s four hits as Murray (13-12) snapped a six-game losing streak to the Lyons.
Lyon County (18-9) will face another stout challenge Thursday while hosting McCracken County. The Lyons will play Livingston Central Monday in the semifinals of the district tournament in Marion.
