The ‘what-if’ game is a tough one to play, especially when there is a four-hour bus ride home that follows.
Lyon County missed on some early chances to score, and McCracken County made the right plays when they needed them as the Mustangs claimed a 3-1 win over the Lyons in the first round of the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop State Baseball Tournament in Lexington on Friday.
The matchup at Kentucky Proud Park on the campus of the University of Kentucky was one of only two in the first round to feature teams in the top 20 in the KHSAA RPI. McCracken was No. 6 and Lyon was No. 18.
However, it was Lyon County who struck first in Friday’s opener. Austin Spears drew a two-out walk, and Peyton Williams crushed a ball off the center field wall near the 400-foot sign. Spears scored, but shortstop Briar Hall took the cut-off throw and fired a strike to Kendrick Dunning at home to nail Williams trying to add a second run.
“He hit the cutoff perfect and the cutoff to home was perfect,” Lyon Coach Ricky Baker said. “I thought, being in the first inning, if we were going to take a chance, that was the time to take it.”
McCracken would get all the runs they needed in the second inning. Lane Grace led off with a flyball that got lost in the high Lexington sky and went for a single. Braden Truitt followed with a single, and both runners moved up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt.
Lefty Josh Penrod poked a double down the left field line to plate both runners for a 2-1 McCracken lead. Braden Casebier followed with a single to give the Mustangs a 3-1 advantage.
In addition to his two-run double, Penrod got the job done on the mound, changing speeds and keeping the Lyons off balance early.
“I think in the first two innings, we looked at like five fastballs, so he was trying to stay away from us and trying to keep us off balance, and he did a really good job. He’s been one of their top pitchers all year, and you can see why,” Baker said.
Lyon County threatened to add a run in the third inning when Turner Hurst singled and was sacrificed to second. But Penrod got Eli Baker and Korben Lucas out on strikes to end the threat.
The Lyons loaded the bases in the fourth inning with one out, but Penrod induced an inning-ending double play to get out of the jam.
Penrod’s arm wasn’t the only one getting the job done for McCracken County. Dunning threw out a Lyon runner trying to steal and picked another off first base.
Lyon County would get a runner into scoring position only once more, but an attempted steal in the sixth ended the inning and Lyon’s scoring threat.
Penrod (5-1) struck out five and walked four while allowing just three hits in 5.1 innings. His season ERA ticked up slightly to 1.11. Noah Godwin got the final five outs for his first save of the season.
Eli Baker fell to 4-2 and pitched the complete game for the Lyons, striking out three and walking none.
Penrod and Truitt each had a pair of hits as part of McCracken’s nine-hit attack.
McCracken County (30-8) moves into Saturday’s quarterfinal game.
Lyon County’s season ends at 21-8. It also was the end of a seven-year coaching run for Baker as head coach as he transitions into the role of head girls’ basketball coach at Lyon.
“We had the bases loaded a couple of times, and we just didn’t get it done. Baseball is a weird game. I mean it’s very weird, and that’s why it humbles you and makes you a better person,” Baker said. “I’m proud of this group. So proud of this group. They have accomplished a lot, and I’m proud to be a Lyon County Lyon.”
