A pair of late-inning home runs provided enough insurance to deal the Christian County Lady Colonels a pair of losses at Apollo High School on Saturday.
Kiera Robbins’ solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning broke a 3-3 tie and helped Butler to a 4-3 win over the Lady Colonels in their opener.
Tyler Hall blasted a homer to center in the fifth inning to help Apollo to a 10-5 win in the nightcap.
Butler 4 Christian County 3
The Lady Colonels had their chances early to break through on the scoreboard but couldn’t deliver the key hit.
Gracie Harned doubled with one out in the first inning but was stranded. Jada Miller led off the third inning with a double but could advance no further. Jayda Turner reached on an error in the fourth inning, stole second, and advanced to third with two outs where she would remain.
Meanwhile, Butler grabbed a 1-0 lead when a walk and misplayed fly ball with two outs came ahead of a single by Maya Green.
With two outs in the fourth, Gracelee Sharp laced a triple into the gap in right-center field that scored Chloe Flint for a 2-0 lead.
Christian County finally broke through in the fifth inning. Avery Adcock walked, Gracie Harned reached on an error, and Jazmira Tejada walked. Jayda Turner was hit by a pitch to force in a run and Jordan Turner followed with a sharp single to center to plate two runs and give the Lady Colonels their first lead at 3-2.
Butler tied the game in their half of the fifth on a single by Kaylee Brooks and a double by Nina Camara.
Robbins’ first home run of the season to straight away centerfield in the sixth came with one out and gave the Bearettes the lead.
Christian County loaded the bases in the top of the seventh with a double by Haley Petterson and two walks.
Alysa Malone, who came on to pitch in the top of the seventh, got a strikeout to end the game and pick up her second save of the season.
Sharp got the win for Butler, keeping Christian County off balance for most of the game. Nine of Christian County’s outs came on flyouts to left and center field. She allowed four hits and struck out two in six innings pitched.
Harned (2-2) pitched well enough to get the win for the Lady Colonels, allowing six hits in six innings while striking out eight. However, Butler’s tenacity at the plate saw them foul off 23 pitches and elevate Harned’s pitch count.
Petterson had two of Christian County’s five hits in the game.
Christian County and Butler (7-7), who plays in Louisville’s Sixth Region, have met eight times over the past 25 years with the Lady Colonels winning the first six games and Butler the last two. Saturday was the first meeting between the schools in five years.
Apollo 10 Christian County 5
Fives were wild for Apollo, who scored five runs in the third inning and five more in the fifth to claim the five-run win over the Lady Colonels.
Avery Adcock’s sharp single to left scored eighth grader Chloe Almy in the second inning to stake the Lady Colonels to a 1-0 lead.
Apollo dented the scoreboard for the first time when freshman Tyler Hall hit a bases-loaded double down the left field line for a 3-1 E-gals lead.
Two singles and two stolen bases would tack on two more Apollo runs in the inning.
Christian County answered in the fourth inning when Alison Grant was hit by a pitch and Almy singled for the second time in the game.
Jada Miller scored a run on a ground out and Adcock followed with an RBI single but was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double.
Gracie Harned followed with her sixth home run of the season, a solo shot to center field to get the Lady Colonels to within 5-4.
Apollo extended its lead in the sixth inning with a game-deciding five-spot. Mallory Velotta had an RBI single, and Arianna Ramirez followed with a two-run double. Hall capped the inning with her second home run of the season to center.
Grant’s infield single in the top of the seventh plated courtesy runner Aaliyah Bell for Christian County’s final run in the seventh inning.
Adcock and Harned had two hits for the Lady Colonels at the top of the order. Jazmira Tejada had two hits in the middle and Almy provided a pair of singles at the bottom.
Jordan Turner (4-3) struck out seven in six innings and allowed nine hits.
Hall had a double and homer as part of a two-hit day for Apollo (5-4) and drove in five runs.
Apollo has won the past two meetings with Christian County dating back to last year. The teams are scheduled to meet again on April 20 in Hopkinsville.
Christian County (6-4) will play at Marshall County on Monday and return home for a district game with Hopkinsville on Thursday.
