Apollo has gone 6-1 against Hancock County recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Eagles are taking a road trip to face off against the Hornets at 5:30 p.m. Apollo's pitching crew has only allowed 1.3 runs per game this season, so Hancock County's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Apollo took a loss when they played away from home last Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They came out on top against Madisonville-North Hopkins by a score of 5-1.
Grayson Smith made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and not a single walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Carter Kimmel
| 03/25/25 @ Owensboro Catholic | 2 |
| 04/07/25 vs Madisonville-North Hopkins | 1 |
In other pitching news, Carter Kimmel looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. He has become a key player for Apollo: the team is undefeated when he allows at most two earned runs, but 1-2 otherwise.
Back at the plate, Ross Milburn was excellent, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one triple, one run, and one RBI. Jagger Pate was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Hancock County duked it out with Woodford County in a bug-themed battle on Thursday. The Hornets came up short against the Yellowjackets, falling 12-2. Having soared to a lofty 11 runs in the game before, the Hornets couldn't push the score so high this time.
Jack Roberts was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-2.
Apollo's victory was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-2. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Hancock County, they now have a losing record of 5-6.
Hancock County's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Apollo hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .361. It's a different story for Hancock County, though, as they've only averaged .252. Will they be able to contain Apollo's hitters?
Apollo was able to grind out a solid victory over Hancock County when the teams last played back in May of 2023, winning 6-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
