The Christian County Colonels took over first place in the District 8 baseball standings Friday night with an 8-3 win over University Heights Academy at Colonel Field.
Senior Aiden Lewis held the No. 21-ranked Blazers in check most of the night. The left-hander went 6 2/3 innings and struck out six while not walking a batter to pick up the win.
The Colonels (9-7, 3-0) gave him all the run support he would need in the first inning as they scored five runs. UHA starter Cadence Gibson hit a batter, walked another and gave up two hits as the Colonels grabbed an early lead. The big hit in the first inning was a two-run single by Eddie Davis, which chased Gibson.
Josh Pace entered the game and he hit Thad Tolliver before Layton Creamer and Johnny Lewis delivered RBI singles.
Pace settled in after that as he went 5 1/3 innings, striking out seven and walked two.
UHA (6-5, 3-1) got back into the game in the top of the fifth as Ryan Luckey led off with a single and scored on a triple by Hayden Hunt. Hunt would score on a groundout by Jones and the Colonels’ lead was cut to 5-2.
The Blazers sliced the lead to 5-3 in the top of the sixth as Courtland Gibson doubled and scored on a wild pitch.
However, Christian County put the game out of reach in the bottom of the sixth frame as Johnny Lewis walked and then moved to third on a two-base error. Aiden Lewis drove in a run with a ground out to make it 6-3. After a double by Gage Montes and a walk to Blake Boehman, Davis struck again with a two-out single to make it 8-3.
Davis went 2-for-3 on the night and drove in four runs. Boehman also had a pair of hits for the Colonels.
Hunt led the Blazers as he was only a home run away from hitting for the cycle. Jackson Flynn also had two hits for UHA.
Christian County is back in action Saturday at home as the Colonels will take on Union County at 10 a.m. and Daviess County at 2 p.m.
The Blazers will play a doubleheader at home on Saturday, facing No. 10-ranked Greenwood at 11 a.m. and No. 23 Paducah Tilghman at 4:30 p.m.
Score by Innings:
University Heights Academy 000 021 0 – 3 10 1
Christian County 500 003 x – 8 8 2
WP – Lewis
LP – Ca. Gibson
Leading Hitters: UHA – Luckey (1B), Ca. Gibson (1B), Hunt (1B, 2B, 3B), Jones (1B), Miles (1B), Flynn (2 1B), Co. Gibson (2B); CCHS – Montes (2B), Boehman (2 1B), Davis (2 1B, 4 RBI), Layton Creamer (2 1B), J. Lewis (1B).
File Photo