Knocking on the door of the state’s Top 25 high school softball rankings, All “A” State Champion Lyon County used an explosive fourth inning to hold off Livingston Central 5-3 and win its ninth straight game Tuesday in Eddyville.
The Lady Lyons, who are currently ranked No. 27 in the Kentucky Softball Coaches Poll, were scoreless with the Cardinals until the bottom of the fourth inning when Calista Collins smacked a two-run homer to center field to give LCHS a 2-0 lead with authority. The long ball gave Collins here 32nd and 33rd RBIs of the season and tied her with Sydney Melton for the team lead in home runs (10) in 2021.
Lyon County continued to pour it on a couple batters later, as Kaelyn Conger and Gracen Wynn had consecutive sharp singles to bring home Melton for a 3-0 lead. Lilly Perry rounded out the big inning with a hard ground ball to third, leading to one of three Cardinal errors and another Lyon run.
Seeking its fourth win in six games against 2nd Region opponents in 2021, Livingston Central mounted a valiant comeback effort in the last of the seventh inning, getting two-out runs on Victoria Joiner’s RBI single and Sydney Lasher’s RBI double, but Tori Schenk got senior Lauren Wring to pop out in foul territory to end the threat and the game.
Schenk (6-0) threw a complete game to stay undefeated in the circle. The senior was stellar, striking out eight Cardinals. Livingston did draw two walks and out-hit the Lyons 7-4, but a pair of errors and timely LCHS hitting did the trick for the streaking Lyon County squad. Lasher threw all six innings and struck out six for Livingston, but was tagged with the loss after giving up four hits and five runs.
Collins (1-for-3, two RBIs, run) and Conger (2-for-3, run) led the way for their team, while Joiner (3-for-4, two RBIs, run) and Lasher (1-for-4, RBI) paced the Cards in the losing effort.
Lyon County (14-6) will try for its 10th straight win April 29, when the Lyons host No. 17 Marshall County (12-5) in a battle of teams that are contending to win their respective regions. The Marshals defeated Murray High School 4-0 on the road Tuesday evening.