Baseball Eagles 2-1 in Warren County tourney

Ohio County High School’s baseball team made a good showing in last week’s Warren County Invitational, beating Grant County and Warren Central before falling to host South Warren. Ben Everley’s squad was slated to travel to Hopkinsville this Monday night to battle the HHS Tigers.

Tomorrow night the local nine visit Dixon to challenge Webster County, then play a doubleheader Saturday at Apollo’s field in Owensboro — versus Lexington Henry Clay and host Apollo. Next Monday, April 19, Ohio County plays Whitesville Trinity at the Whitesville City Park field and the next night entertain Hopkinsville’s University Heights Academy at Bill Leach Field.

Last Thursday at Bowling Green, the Eagles overcame an early deficit to beat Grant County by a final of 8-4. The Braves jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, on two hits, a walk, and an OCHS fielding error. Ohio County then drew four bases on balls in the top of the second to cut the margin to 3-1.

Each team scored a run in their half of the third, Ohio County’s on a walk, a wild pickoff throw, and a fielder’s choice. But Grant County’s lead disappeared in the top of the fourth frame when the Eagles drew three more walks and sophomore Matt Smith drove all three home with a base-clearing triple. Jacob Gregory’s single then plated Smith for a 6-4 Ohio County lead.

The Eagles would score single runs in their sixth and seventh at-bats, using only one hit in the process, to account for the final score. Freshman Deacon Addis got the mound win, fanning six Braves in four innings of work.

Ohio Co. (3-4) 0 1 1 4 0 1 1—8 3 4

Grant Co. (0-2) 3 0 1 0 0 0 0—4 5 3

WP-Addis (4 IP, 6 K, 1 BB). LP-Martin (3 IP, 2 K, 8 BB). 3B-Smith (OC). **OC: pitching—Walker (2 IP, 3 K, 3 BB), Farris (1 IP, 2 K); hitting—1B-Gregory, E. Elliott; RBI-Smith 3, Gregory 2, Baize 2; SB-Goff 2, Davis. **GC pitching—Hillman (.2 IP, 2 K, 2 BB), Ammerman (2.2 IP, 3 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP), Sustarich (1 IP, 2 K).

On Friday, Ohio County jumped out to a 16-0 lead over Warren Central and coasted to a 16-4 win. The losing Dragons were only outhit by a 12-8 margin but hurt their own cause with nine fielding errors.

Two of those “boots” came in the top of the first and helped contribute to a quick 3-0 lead, aided — of course — by hits by Eagles Clayton Goff, Jaylen Walker, and Matt Smith. OCHS bumped the margin to 4-0 in the top of the fourth on a walk, two Dragon errors, and a sacrifice fly. But then came the top of the fifth.

In that at-bat, Ohio County plated a dozen runs on eight hits — including triple by Walker and Smith and doubles by Addis, Goff, and Ashton Farris who had two hits in the inning — and five WCHS errors. The Dragons put together four hits, a walk, and a hit batter to score four times in the last of the fifth, but it wasn’t enough to keep the game from being stopped on the 10-run rule. Farris got the win, striking out six WCHS batters in four innings on the mound.

Ohio Co. (4-4) 3 0 0 1 12—16 12 0

Warren Central (0-4) 0 0 0 0 0— 4 8 9

WP-Farris (4 IP, 6 K, 1 HBP). LP-Rigsby (4 IP, 2 K, 2 BB). 2B-Goff 2, Addis, Farris (OC). 3B-Smith, Walker (OC). **OC: pitching—Baize (.1 IP, 1 BB, 1 HBP), King (.2 IP, 1 K); hitting—1B-Goff, Walker, Smith, Gregory, Farris, Tichenor, E. Elliott; RBI-E. Elliott 3, Walker 2, Goff, Smith, Gregory, Farris, Bradley; Sac-Walker; SB-Farris, Goff, Smith. **WC pitching—Huntsman (1 IP, 2 K).

But on Saturday, it was host South Warren that had the “big inning,” scoring 12 runs in the bottom of the second inning en route to a 16-1 win over the Eagles. Spartan pitcher Tanner Graves allowed only three OCHS hits in the game while his teammates were collecting a “baker’s dozen” — that’s 13, in case you didn’t know.

A triple and a sacrifice fly accounted for SWHS’ run in the bottom of the first before they exploded for eight hits — aided by two walks, two OCHS errors, and a hit batsman — in the last of the second. Ohio County scored their run in the top of the third on Nolan Baize’s leadoff single, a sacrifice, and a Spartan error. The home team added three more in their half of the third before the game was halted.

Ohio Co. (4-5) 0 0 1— 1 3 3

South Warren (3-3) 1 12 3—16 13 2

WP-Graves (3 IP, 3 K, 1 BB). LP-Gregory (1 IP, 1 K, 2 BB). 2B-SW=2. 3B-SW=2. OC: pitching—C. Elliott (.1 IP, 1 K, 1 HBP), King (1 IP, 1 BB, 1 HBP), McConnell; hitting—1B-Smith, Tichenor, Baize; Sac-Walker.