Lyon County’s Austin Spears broke the hearts of the University Heights Academy Blazers with a two-run double in the bottom of the 12th inning and the Lyons rallied to beat UHA 9-8 Monday night in the Region 2 All “A” Baseball Tournament championship.
UHA led 6-0 entering the bottom of the seventh before the Lyons rallied to tie the game.
The No. 21-ranked Blazers took a 2-0 lead in the first inning using three walks, a hit batsman and a single. They pushed the lead to 5-0 in the top of the fifth when Hayden Hunt led off with a double. Aiden Jones walked and the Lyons committed an error.
Josh Pace singled to start the sixth inning and came around to score on a sacrifice bunt by Cadence Gibson and UHA led 6-0.
Jaiden Miles started the game and Gibson had come on in relief and the Lyons had only two hits entering the bottom of the seventh.
However, No. 8-ranked Lyon County got six hits and pushed across the tying run drove in Austin Spears and forced extra innings.
Both teams scored single runs in the 10th before UHA took an 8-7 lead in the top of the 12th.Ryan Luckey reached on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly by Gibson.
However, Hudson Phillips reached on an error to start the bottom of the 12th inning and after a strike out, Korben Lucas was intentionally walked. Spears ended the game with a two-run double into the right field gap to end the game.
Lyon County was the home team on the scoreboard after winning a coin toss before the game. The Lyons (6-4) will advance to play the Region 1 winner. The opponent has yet to be determined.
Pace suffered the pitching loss for the Blazers, who slipped to 6-4 on the season.
Gibson led UHA at the plate going 2-for-6 with three RBI. Hayden Hunt had a double for the Blazers, who return to action Friday at Christian County in a District 8 game. Airtime for Friday’s game is 5:45 p.m. on 95.3 The Farm.
Score by Innings:
University Heights 200 031 000 101 – 8 6 2
Lyon County 000 000 600 102 – 9 12 6
LP – Pace
Leading Hitters: UHA – Gibson (2B, 1B, 3 RBI), Hunt (2B), Miles (1B), Flynn (1B), Pace (1B).
Photos by Peyton Biaquis