Lyon County was considered the favorite by many to repeat as All A Classic softball region champions. Caldwell County didn’t get the memo.
The young Lady Tigers stood toe to toe with the experienced Lady Lyons for five innings until the Lyon County bats woke up and ended the game with a 10-run sixth inning. With the 17-6 victory, Lyon County moves on to the All A Classic State Tournament on April 23-24 in Owensboro.
Lyon County outhit Caldwell 17-8 with seven of their hits coming in the sixth inning.
Caldwell struck first in the back-and-forth affair when Allie Felker doubled home Presley McKinney and A.J. Hollowell in the third inning.
Lyon answered in the home half of the third when Calista Collins belted a home run to left. Gracen Wynn later followed with an RBI single that scored Sydney Melton for a 3-2 lead.
Caldwell tied the game in the fourth when eighth-grader Brylee Butts roped her first high school home run over the left field fence.
Lyon retook the lead when Tori Schenk’s sacrifice fly scored Hadlie Butler.
Caldwell County wasn’t done as they mounted a two-out rally in the fifth. A.J. Hollowell walked, and Felker tripled to tie the game at 4-4. Shelby Lane singled home Felker to put the Lady Tigers ahead 5-4.
The lead was short-lived as Melton led off the fifth with a solo home run to left center field to tie the game at 5-5.
After Wynn walked and Katelyn Dykes doubled, Wynn would score on a wild pitch and Dykes followed on a misplayed bunt.
Caldwell didn’t go away as doubles by Butts and McKinney got Caldwell to within 7-6.
Lyon dropped the hammer in the bottom of the sixth. Collins had an RBI double and Wynn added an RBI hit. Butler doubled home a pair of runs for a 13-6 lead.
After a Lilly Perry hit, Shenk’s second single of the inning scored Butler. Collins ended the game with her second round-tripper – a three-run shot past the scoreboard in left field.
Collins was 3-for-5 with six RBIs. Melton, Butler, and Schenk each had three hits. Butler and Dykes added doubles for Lyon County.
Felker’s two extra base hits brought home three runs for Caldwell County. Butts and McKinney also had two hits.
Kaelyn Conger struck out nine and scattered seven hits to get the win for the Lady Lyons.
Ilyssa Stallins pitched well for Caldwell County. She struck out one and waked two. Five of the runs she allowed were unearned.
Caldwell County, who started two sophomores, a freshman, and three eighth graders, fell to 3-4 with the loss. They will have another tough test Friday when they host Henderson County.
Lyon County improved to 5-3 and will play in the Dan Cummings Classic in Georgetown this weekend. They will play in the All A Classic State Tournament the following weekend.
