Lyon County will play for the 2nd Region All A Classic championship.
The Lyons knocked off defending champion Caldwell County 7-3 Tuesday night in semifinal action in Eddyville behind a strong pitching performance from junior left-hander Brady Belt.
Next up for Lyon (8-4) is Crittenden County in the championship game on Thursday.
Belt (3-0) worked into the seventh inning, striking out 10 while scattering seven base hits. He allowed two earned runs. With two on and one out in the top of the seventh, John Bingham came on to get the final two outs and record a save.
Meanwhile, Korben Lucas doubled home three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to give the Lyons some breathing room. That turned a 4-3 ballgame into a 7-3 Lyon advantage, and the Lyons were able to hang on against their border rival.
Ari Wells had put Caldwell up 1-0 in the first inning with an RBI double into the right-field corner.
Lyon countered with two in the second. Austin Spears led off the inning with home run to left. Peyton Williams later delivered a sacrifice fly to center to put the Lyons up 2-1.
Lyon added two more runs in the third. Spears singled in one run, then another tally crossed the plate on a throwing error to make it 4-1.
Caldwell scratched to within 4-2 in the top of the fourth on a two-out RBI single to right by Westin King.
The Tigers closed to within 4-3 when Wells delivered his second RBI double of the night with two outs in the fifth.
But with momentum seemingly leaning to Caldwell’s side, Lyon put together its three-run rally in the bottom of the fifth to regain control of the contest.
Singles by Belt and Bingham, followed by a walk by Spears loaded the bases with one out. Lucas then unloaded them with a shot to the fence in left-center, giving Lyon its 7-3 cushion.
Caldwell (13-4) got two walks and a single from Luke Parker in the top of the seventh to get the potential tying run to the plate with two outs. But Bingham struck out the next batter to end the game.
Lucas was 2-for-3 with the three RBIs for Lyon while Spears went 2-for-3 and knocked in two. Bingham was 2-for-3 at the plate as well.
For Caldwell, Wells was 2-for-4 and drove in two. Parker finished 2-for-3 and scored twice.
Lyon will host Crittenden for the 2nd Region All A Classic championship on Thursday.
The Lyons will carry an eight-game winning streak into that contest.
The Rockets (10-6) advanced on Tuesday by routing Fort Campbell 16-1 in four innings in the other semifinal matchup.
