The Apollo game was one of four games played Friday evening and Saturday afternoon in the season-ending Cougar Freshman Jamboree. In addition to Apollo, teams from Owensboro Catholic, Breckinridge County and Butler County were on hand. Friday evening the Cougars beat Butler County 3-0, but lost to Catholic 1-0. Following the Apollo game, the Cougars beat Breck 2-1. Grayson County, Breck and Apollo all finished 3-1 for the weekend.
Seventh-grader Jessika Young pitched all five innings for the Cougars to earn the win. Young gave up a pair of runs in the first inning, and though she pitched with runners in scoring position in every inning, she gave up no more runs to the E-Gals. Young allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out three.
Apollo’s pitcher, Chasity McNeeley, led off the game with a single to right, then stole second base. Young retired Brooke Robbins on a ground out, but McNeeley advanced to third on the play.
Third baseman Rachel Tanner followed by grounding a ball to Cougar shortstop Alex Crowe, who tried to get McNeeley at the plate. Though the play was close, McNeeley was safe and Tanner was on at first on the fielder’s choice.
Alyssa Barnett grounded out for the second out of the inning, but Taylor Fenwick followed with a single to drive in the second run.
That was it for the E-Gals. Apollo put a runner at second base with two outs in the second, but Young retired McNeeley on a come-backer to end the inning. Apollo again had a runner at second with two outs in the third, but Young got Fenwick to pop out to end that threat.
The E-Gals had runners at second and third with two outs in the fourth, but McNeeley grounded out once more to end the inning. Young gave up a two-out double to Barnett in the fifth, but Fenwick grounded out to Crowe at short to end that inning.
After falling behind early, the Cougars bounced back to tie things against McNeeley in the second. First-baseman Morgan Sebastian lined a single to center leading off, and when Apollo’s center-fielder allowed the ball to get past her and roll to the fence, Sebastian wound up at third.
Sydney Clark followed by ripping a pitch to straight-away center that went to the fence for a triple and drove in Sebastian with the Cougars’ first run.
Jordan Williams replaced Clark at third and she came in to score the second run as second-baseman Katie Newton grounded out to first.
The Cougars won the game in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the fifth. Clark beat out an infield single leading off and was replaced on the bases by Williams once more, who reached second on a passed ball.
McNeeley struck out Newton and pinch-hitter Kailea Gill, but then had to face pinch-hitter Kylee Gorby, who had just arrived from the varsity’s games at North Hardin.
Gorby took a strike, then drove the ball back through the middle for a single. Williams took off and headed toward the plate. Williams and the ball arrived at nearly the same time, but Williams slid across the plate before the tag could be made and the Cougars celebrated their win.
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