Looking to avenge a 6-2 loss to Apollo back on March 16, the Lyon County Lyons had to come from behind three times on Saturday to finish off a 10-9 walk-off victory over the visiting Eagles.
The Lyons appear to be peaking at the right time with their fifth straight win to improve to 20-5 ahead of home and away matchups with McCracken County to close out the regular season.
After dispatching Christian County 11-0 earlier in the day, Apollo continued that momentum with a pair of runs in the top of the first. However, the Lyons put two on with one out in the bottom of the frame, and Austin Spears put them on top with one swing on a home run into the wind in straight away center field.
Brady Belt led off the Lyon third with a single, setting the table for Spears’ second long ball of the game. He deposited the second pitch he saw from Apollo’s Carter Kimmel over the scoreboard in left-center field for a 5-2 Lyon County advantage.
John Bingham settled down on the mound after allowing a pair of runs in the first, but he ran into trouble in the top of the fifth. Apollo’s Grayson Smith singled to bring in a run, and John Milburn delivered a two-run double to cut the margin to a run. The Eagles tied the game with a run on a passed ball followed by Gunnar Hendricks’ two-run single to make it 7-5.
Eli Baker’s RBI single got the Lyons within a run in the bottom of the sixth, and Brady Belt drove in a pair to again put Lyon County on top. After Apollo scored twice in the top of the seventh, the first of two Eagle errors in the bottom of the frame put the Lyons’ lead-off runner on.
Peyton Williams came through with an RBI double to tie the game with one out, and Hudson Phillips’ hard grounder to short was misplayed to bring in the winning run.
Making his first appearance on the mound this season, Trace Walker earned the win for the Lyons after allowing an earned run on a hit with a walk in an inning of work. Bingham gave up seven runs, five earned, on six hits with five walks and six strikeouts over five frames. Korben Lucas pitched an inning in between Bingham and Walker, surrendering an earned run and issuing three walks.
Spears drove in five runs to lead the Lyons at the plate, taking his home run total to nine. Belt and Williams were each 2/4 with two RBI, and Baker drove in a run.
John Milburn took the loss for the Eagles, allowing five runs, three earned, on five hits with three strikeouts. Hendricks drove in two runs, and Smith and Milburn each hit safely twice.
