Lyon County’s opening game of the All-A Classic state tournament against Owensboro Catholic Saturday evening had been the Lady Lyons’s toughest game in the tournament. The toughest game that is, until the rematch between the two teams in Sunday afternoon’s All-A championship game.
Lyon County used a four-run rally in the bottom of the 6th inning to come from behind and take a 10-7 lead and then held on for dear life in the top of the seventh as Owensboro Catholic rallied to cut the score to 10-9. Catholic had the tying run on second base with two outs when a line drive was hit to Lyon County shortstop Calista Collins. As Collins made her move to catch the ball, she collided with the Lady Aces’ runner, with both players going to the ground. While the runner was on the ground after the collision, she was called out for offensive interference for the third out of the inning and the championship belonged to the Lady Lyons in nail-biting fashion.
The Lyon County rally came after Bailey Hamilton hit a lead-off homer for the Lady Aces in the top of the 6th inning to give Catholic a 7-6 lead.
The Lady Aces were their own worst enemy during the Lyon County rally in the bottom of the sixth. They were charged with three errors, two walks, and a hit batter during the inning. Lilly Perry had the only hit in the inning, but it was a big RBI single to add some much-needed cushion.
The game had gone back and forth from the very beginning. Lyon County scored in four of its six at-bats, while Owensboro Catholic scored in every inning but the top of the 5th. While Lyon County could not shut down the Catholic attack, they were able over the course of the entire game to keep the Lady Aces from ripping off a “big” inning.
Five Lady Lyons had two hits in the game, those players being Hadlie Butler, Gracen Wynn, Katelyn Dykes, Lilly Perry, and Tori Schenk. Tournament MVP Calista Collins was 1-4, with a home run, an RBI, and two runs scored. That homer tied the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the fourth.
Kaelyn Conger, who shut out O-Cath in the opener, gave up nine runs, seven of them earned, on 15 hits. She did strike out nine batters over seven innings of work.
In addition to Calista Collins, Tori Schenk, Kaelyn Conger, Sydney Melton, and Gracen Wynn made the All-Tournament team.
The Lady Lyons began their day-long trek to the All-A title Sunday morning as they wrapped up pool play against Nicholas County.
8th grader Lilly Perry was spectacular in the circle, giving up only three hits in six innings of work as Lyon County blanked Nicholas County 5-0 to complete their undefeated run in pool play. Perry struck out five and walked six in picking up the win.
Lyon County’s bats were fairly quiet over the game. Still, the Lady Lyons managed to put up five runs on four hits. Gracen Wynn did a chunk of the damage on her own, going 2-3, with two doubles, three RBIs, and a run scored.
Lyon County then began bracket play by taking on Trimble County in the quarterfinals. This one was almost over as soon as it started. The Lady Lyons put up three runs in the first and then hammered out 12 more in the second as they rolled to the three-inning mercy-rule win at 15-0 over the Lady Raiders.
Sydney Melton was 2-2 with two home runs in just two innings, four RBIs, and three runs scored. Calista Collins, Kaelyn Conger, Katelyn Dykes, and Lilly Perry, all had two hits each for Lyon County.
Tori Schenk picked up the win, pitching all three innings, giving up no runs on four hits, striking out two, while walking none.
That set up what many thought would be a big-time matchup in the semifinals between Lyon County and Raceland. Turned out the “big time” was hanging out in the Lady Lyons dugout.
Lyon County used a seven-run third inning to break open a 2-1 game and then rolled on to a 16-6 win over the Lady Rams. Lyon County scored in every at-bat but the second inning of the five-inning contest. All of the runs during the big third inning came after the first two Lady Lyons were set down. The big blow of the inning was a monstrous three-run homer to centerfield by Calista Collins.
Collins finished 2-5 with a home run, a double, three RBIs, and two runs scored. Hadlie Butler was big at the bat as well, going 3-3, with four RBIs and three runs scored. Gracen Wynn, Katelyn Dykes, Lilly Perry, Tori Schenk, and Rachel Coursey, all had two hits each for Lyon County, who pounded out 17 hits in the win, which put them in the title game.
Tori Schenk picked up the win in relief, going three innings, giving up three earned runs, striking out one, and walking none.
If anyone wants to look at the short story of how the Lady Lyons won the All-A state championship, they need look no further than these numbers. Over the six games of the tournament, Lyon County outscored their opponents 67-19. You won’t lose many games with those kinds of numbers.
With their “perfect” run through the All-A Classic, the Lady Lyons now stand at 12-6 on the season.
