Apollo grabbed two wins over Nicholas County in its second day of the Cal Ripken Experience, while Owensboro Catholic defeated Fern Creek to move to 9-1 overall.
Apollo vs. Nicholas County, Pleasure Ridge Park
After back-to-back losses to start the Cal Ripken Experience, Apollo turned things around for a dominant 17-3 win over Nicholas County in its first game of the day.
The Eagles grabbed the first run of the game in the first inning thanks to an RBI single from sophomore Will Strode, but it was in the second inning that they ramped up the production.
Sophomore Noah Cook got the first run in the second inning with an RBI groundout, before an RBI single from senior Nick Judd and a bases-clearing double from freshman Sam Holder to take a 6-0 lead.
The Blue Jackets got two runs back in the bottom half of the inning, but Apollo made sure to expand its lead once again in the top of the third. Following back-to-back walks to start the inning, freshman Grayson Smith hit a two-run single to make it an 8-2 game.
Strode delivered an RBI single two batters later and a two-run double from senior Dayton Brown followed. Shortly after junior Josh Mayes roped an RBI single from center, capping off a six-run inning to lead 12-2.
The Eagles grabbed five more runs over the next two innings, limiting Nicholas County to just one in order to claim a 17-3 win in five innings.
Holder led the way with three RBIs, while also going 2-2 on the day. Brown, Strode and Judd all chipped in two RBIs each, while senior Harrison Bowman, Mayes, Cook, Smith and sophomore Easton Blandford all had one each.
Apollo pitched by committee in game one, with no pitcher tackling more than one and two thirds innings. Bowman, Smith, Brown and sophomore Whelan Skinner combined to allow two earned runs on five hits, while walking six and striking out four.
Some offense in the middle of the game for the Eagles did the trick in game two, holding for a 4-1 win over Pleasure Ridge Park behind a strong pitching performance.
It took two scoreless innings of baseball before someone got on the board, as Apollo got an RBI triple from Judd in the bottom of the third to take a 1-0 lead into the fourth. The Eagles kept things going in the bottom of the fourth, starting with a run crossing thanks to a Panthers error.
The following at-bat sophomore Michael Chaney singled to left to bring in a run, before Cook capped off the three-run inning and gave Apollo a 4-0 lead by scoring on a wild pitch.
Pleasure Ridge Park was able to get a run in the fifth, but its efforts to mount a comeback would be to no avail and ultimately fell to the Eagles 4-1. Cook had the Panthers struggling at the plate all game long, allowing one run on five hits, while walking one and striking out eight.
Chaney and Judd had the lone RBIs of the game, while Judd led the way as the only Apollo players with two hits on the day.
Grabbing back-to-back wins on Tuesday, the Eagles move to 8-4 overall before matchups with Fairfax and North Bullitt at noon and 3 p.m. on Thursday.
Owensboro Catholic vs. Fern Creek
The Aces were able to pile on the runs late in a game that ended due to weather, as they defeated Fern Creek 7-3 on Tuesday.
The Tigers got the first runs of the game after a scoreless first inning, getting run No. 1 on a safety squeeze. Two batters later junior Macade Marshall plated a run on a groundout, before an RBI single from senior Corey Stirneman gave them a 3-0 lead going into the third.
Owensboro Catholic nearly left the top of third scoreless, but a quick two-out rally changed things. Senior Braden Mundy gave the Aces their first run with an RBI single, which was followed up by senior Alex Castlen’s RBI single to make it a 3-2 game.
Following a walk Owensboro Catholic was able to grab its first lead of the game, going up 4-3 after a two-run single from senior J Crabtree. In the top of the fourth the Aces kept their foot on the gas, loading the bases with two walks and a single from senior Everett Munsey.
Senior Sam McFarland came through for Owensboro Catholic, clearing the bases with a double and giving them a 7-3 lead going into the bottom of the fourth. It was then that senior Hayden Ward closed the door on the win after the game was called due to the weather.
Ward tossed all four innings of the day, allowing three earned runs on seven hits, while walking one. McFarland led the way at the plate, going 2-2 and recording three RBIs. Crabtree had two RBIs, while Mundy and Castlen also recorded one each.
Owensboro Catholic’s winning streak moves to seven with the win, as they are set to take on Pensacola Catholic at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
