For one team, they will remember and celebrate this one for a long time to come. For the other, this one is going to sting, and not just a little bit, for a while. Austin Spears’ double to the right-center gap with one out in the bottom of the 12th inning allowed Lyon County to come from behind for the third time in the game and walk-off a 9-8 win over University Heights Academy in the championship game of the 2nd Region All A Classic baseball tournament.
Spears’ game-winner capped off a heart-pounding finish to a game many were talking about afterward as being one of the best high school baseball games they had ever witnessed.
The fact that the Lyons came from behind not once, not twice, but three times adds to the emotion and drama of the evening.
Lyon County looked to be dead in the water heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. UHA had built a 6-0 lead over the course of the game and stood just three outs away from the Blazers’ first All A regional championship since 2016.
The Blazers scored two runs in the first on a bases-loaded walk and a bases-loaded hit batter. UHA, which was the visiting team due to bracket position, added three runs in the top of the 5th inning on a pair of pop ups and a ground out to push the lead out to 5-0.
UHA added what looked to be an insurance run in the top of the 6th when Cadence Gibson laid down a sacrifice bunt that scored Josh Pace and made it a 6-0 game.
So as the game headed into the bottom of the 7th, you could understand if some of the Lyon County faithful started thinking about getting underway on the journey back home. But the Lyons proved one thing, if anything on this Monday night, and that is that they are a resilient pride.
After a walk and a single to open the bottom of the seventh, Hudson Phillips made it 6-1 with an RBI single to left. After John Bingham popped up for the first out of the inning, Korben Lucas doubled to cut the lead to 6-2. An Austin Spears double, drove in two runs and suddenly the lead was down to 6-4 and the Lyon County fans were starting to believe.
Eli Baker singled to left and the lead was down to five and now the Lyons were not just thinking about coming back to tie the game and force extras, but they were thinking about winning the game.
Following a walk, Colton Prow singled to right and the game was now even at 6-6 with still just one out.
In a game filled with big efforts, it was Hayden Hunt’s turn to come up big for the Blazers. Hunt struck out Peyton Williams and Turner Hurst with the potential game-winning run down at second base, and the Blazers, after seeing a 6-run lead evaporate, were able to force extra innings.
In the top of the 10th, Josh Pace was hit by a pitch with one out. Cadence Gibson put the Blazers back in front 7-6 with a double to left field and Blazer fans were feeling like this one would be theirs after all.
In the bottom of the inning, Peyton Williams very nearly tied the game on his own. He led off the inning with a blast to left that just missed leaving the park and ended up being a lead-off double. Williams then scored on a one-out single from Hudson Phillips that tied the game at 7-7.
Both teams had opportunities in the 11th inning but neither could convert the chance.
The top of the 12th saw Lyon County commit an infield error that set the Blazers up to score another go-ahead run, this one on a line drive sacrifice fly to left from Cadence Gibson that made it 8-7.
But as it would turn out, there were would be no denying the Lyons in this one. An infield error from the Blazers and a walk to Korben Lucas set the stage for Spears shot to the gap which sent the Lyon County fans into a frenzy and ripped the heart out of the Blazers and their fans, who bad been oh so close to an All A regional title.
Austin Spears had a big night at the plate for the Lyons, going 2-6 with two doubles and 4 RBIs. Hudson Phillips was 2-6 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Korben Lucas, Eli Baker, and Colton Prow had two hits each for Lyon County.
Cadence Gibson led the Blazers at the plate, going 3-6 with a double, three RBIs, and a run scored. Hayden Hunt, Jaiden Miles, Jackson Flynn, and Josh Pace added one hit each for the Blazers.
John Bingham picked up the win for Lyon County with seven strong innings in relief. He gave up three runs, two of them earned, striking out six and walking four.
Jaiden Miles was strong in the start for UHA, going four innings, giving up no runs on just two hits, striking out five and walking three. Blazer relievers had trouble slowing down the Lyon offense, giving up 9 runs on 11 hits the rest of the way.
Lyon County now moves on to the sectional round of the All A Classic state tournament where they await the winner of the 1st Region tournament.
