With the eyes of Eddyville focused on goings on in Lexington at the KHSAA State Basketball Tournament, the Lyon County baseball team quietly picked up a pair of impressive victories over the weekend at the Greenwood High School Hot Rods Classic.
After a surprising 0-4 start to the season, Lyon County gave a glimpse at why many pointed to the Lyons as the preseason 2nd Region favorites, shutting out previously unbeaten Owensboro 4-0 and topping hosts Greenwood 5-2 behind a pair of strong pitching performances by Brady Belt and Eli Baker.
The Lyons broke through in the opener after three scoreless innings with Korben Lucas’ two-run triple, and led 3-0 after Turner Hurst grounded out to bring in a run.
With Belt cruising on the mound, Lyon County added the final run in the bottom of the fifth on one of five Owensboro errors. Belt allowed only four hits, including a pair of singles to start the seventh, before coaxing a double play and recording his eighth strikeout to seal the win.
Belt and John Bingham each had two hits, and Lucas drove in three runs for the Lyons.
Will Hume took the loss for the Red Devils, allowing three runs, only one earned, on four hits with no walks and a strikeout. Brady Benjamin finished with two hits to lead Owensboro at the plate.
With the matchup with Greenwood knotted at 1-1 in the top of third, Belt stole home and Austin Spears added an RBI single to make it 3-1. Lucas continued his big day with an RBI triple, and Turner Hurst doubled in a run to stretch the margin to four runs.
The Gators added a final run on a Lyon County error in the bottom of the sixth. Baker earned his first win of the season on the mound, allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits with no walks and five strikeouts. Bingham came on in the top of the seventh, striking out two of the three batters he faced to close out the victory.
Bingham led the way with two hits, and Spears, Lucas, and Hurst each drove in a run.
Greenwood began the weekend undefeated but dropped both games on Saturday. Chaze Huff took the loss, surrendering five runs, four earned, on five hits with a pair of walks and a strikeout. Jake Russell came on for the final two frames, holding the Lyons scoreless with a hit, a walks, and two strikeouts.
Lyon County will welcome Livingston Central to Eddyville on Thursday looking to extend and 11-game win streak in the series with the Cardinals.
