A four-run first inning and strong performances on the mound and at the plate by Austin Spears sent the Lyon County baseball team to an 11-1 victory over 5th-District rivals Livingston Central on Thursday, the Lyons’ third win in a row after starting the season with four losses.
Lyon County extended its winning streak over the Cardinals to 12 games dating back to 2018. Livingston Central lost for the second time in three outings to slip to 5-4.
RBI singles by Spears and John Bingham, along with a run-scoring double by Korben Lucas, powered the Lyons to an early lead, and Spears didn’t allow a runner past second base until the top of the fourth.
Spears’ two-run home run to center made it 7-0 after the Lyons’ second at-bat, and Hudson Phillips picked up an RBI to add to the lead in the third. Peyton Williams was hit with a pitch with the bases loaded in the fourth, and the tenth run came in on a wild pitch.
Drew Richie relieved Spears to start the top of the fifth, and he got into trouble with a pair of walks to the first two batters he faced. With two outs, Richie issued two more walks to bring in the Cardinals’ lone run of the game.
Eli Baker’s second double of the night put runners on second and third with no outs in the Lyons’ half of the fifth, and Brady Belt delivered an RBI single to end the game.
Baker and Belt each finished with two hits, and Spears was 2/3 at the plate with three RBI. In his first start on the mound, Spears picked up the win with four hits, three walks, and six strikeouts over four scoreless innings.
Daniel Ramage took the loss for Livingston Central, surrendering eight runs, four earned, on six hits with a walk and a pair of strikeouts over three frames.
Ashton Russell led the Cardinals with two hits, Zion Meyers and Drew Hosick each had a hit, and Drew Barrow provided an RBI.
Lyon County will look to extend its winning run with another district matchup against Crittenden County on Friday before welcoming Trigg County to Eddyville on Saturday.
