The Lyon County Lyons will head out to take on the Apollo Eagles at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Lyon County's pitching crew has only allowed 3.9 runs per game this season, so Apollo's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Lyon County took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They were the clear victors by a 6-0 margin over Caldwell County. The victory continues a trend for the Lyons in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now won three in a row.
Peyton Williams was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one hit in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Korben Lucas, who scored a run while going 2-for-4. Turner Hurst was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Lyon County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Caldwell County only posted an OBP of .231.
Meanwhile, Apollo faced McCracken County in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Eagles fell just short of the Mustangs by a score of 6-4. It was the first time this season that the Eagles let down their fans at home.
Apollo saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Sam Holder, who scored a run while going 1-for-3. Gunnar Hendricks also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Lyon County's record now sits at 6-4. As for Apollo, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-3.
Saturday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Lyon County hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .318. However, it's not like Apollo struggles in that department as they've averaged .338. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lyon County came out on top in a nail-biter against Apollo in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, sneaking past 10-9. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Lyons since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
