The 8th-District rivalry between University Heights Academy and Christian County has been a one-sided affair recently, with the last Blazer victory coming during the 2014 season. However, the Blazers put down an early-season marker with a 9-1 triumph on Thursday behind a strong outing on the mound and at the plate for senior Luke Welch.
Elijah Underhill got the Colonels off to a big start with a shot over the left-center field fence in the bottom of the 1st, but that would be all Welch would surrender on the mound.
Colonel starter Houston George pitched well through three innings before Welch led off the Blazer half of the 4th with a solo home run. With the game tied at 1-1 in the top of the 5th, George got in trouble with three straight walks after Cole Glover led off the inning with a single. With the Blazers leading by 3 runs, Ian Tyler doubled to score 2 for a 6-1 advantage.
Welch picked up his third RBI of the night on a single in the 6th and the Blazers added the final 2 runs in the top of the 7th on an RBI groundout by Seth Hancock and a Colonel error that allowed Cole Glover to come home.
Welch allowed only 4 hits while striking out 9 and issuing 3 walks. He also led the Blazers with 2 hits and 3 RBI. Tyler had a hit and drove in 2, with Hancock and Ben Stone each bringing in a run. Eston and Cole Glover and Ryan and Nic Luckey each had a hit.
George took the loss for the Colonels, lasting 4.1 innings and allowing 6 runs, 5 earned, on 5 hits with 6 walks and 6 strikeouts. Chance Henderson took over on the mound for the final 2.2 frames, yielding 3 runs, only 1 earned, on 2 hits with a pair of walks and a strikeout.
In addition to Underhill’s homer, Carter Sholar, Preston Phan, and Jacob Jenkins each hit safely once for the Colonels.
The two teams will travel a couple of miles down the road on Friday to do it all again at UHA.
