Cougars stand at 2-2 on season

The McLean County High School baseball team is 2-2 on the season after a win and a couple losses on the road last week.

The Cougars came up short 9-5 at Owensboro on March 23. A road trip to Breckinridge County last Saturday for a doubleheader brought home a win and a loss. McLean County topped Whitesville Trinity 3-1 before falling 6-1 to the host Fighting Tigers.

Last Thursday’s game against the Red Devils was a heartbreaker for the Cougars, as they lost the lead late in defeat.

McLean County came out of the gate hot and was up 4-1 after three innings. Owensboro came back with five runs in the sixth inning to take the lead and seal the victory.

Ayden Rice started the game for the Cougars. The righty went four innings, allowing two runs on two hits and striking out two. Cruz Lee, Corbin Martin and Mason Lovell each contributed in relief for McLean County. Lovell took the loss on the mound.

Rice, Cruz Lee, Houston Whitaker, Layden Bozarth and Jax Lee each had one hit for the Cougars. Jax Lee scored three runs and, along with Corbin Martin, led McLean County with three stolen bases. The Cougars ran wild on the base paths with nine steals.

HB Whitaker had the most chances in the field with five. The first baseman had all five putouts and no errors.

The pitching was strong for both teams in the first game last Saturday, with the Cougars coming out on top over Trinity. Jaelin Groves and Martin both collected one hit in the contest.

Jax Lee was on the hill for McLean County. The southpaw surrendered only one run, allowing just three hits over seven innings, striking out 10 and walking one.

The Cougars’ defense was sure-handed and did not commit an error in the game. Brooks Lynam made the most plays with nine, playing all seven innings behind the plate. Lynam had nine putouts with no errors and no stolen bases allowed.

McLean County fell behind early and could not come back in a loss to Breckinridge County on Saturday. The Cougars managed five hits but had trouble scoring runs.

Hayden Hudson took the pitching loss. Hudson allowed six hits and six runs over four innings, striking out three and walking zero. Jaelin Groves pitched two hitless innings in relief, allowing no runs, striking out one and walking none.

Groves and Bozarth both had a double in the game. Lovell, Cruz Lee and Jax Lee also collected one hit.

Whitaker had the most chances in the field with 11. Whitaker had all putouts with no errors at first base.

“We are going to be a work in progress this year with only one senior and no juniors,” head coach Darren Lynam said. “We played well the first few innings at Owensboro, but then errors did us in. We played well against Whitesville and beat one of the better pitchers in the area. Jax Lee pitched a phenomenal game. We did not play the best defensively in the two games we lost, but we do keep improving, and we are still afloat record wise at 2-2 now.”

After a game at home earlier this week, the Cougars travel to Union County for a 6 p.m. game tonight, March 30. McLean County will be on the road at Hopkins County Central on Friday, playing at 5:30 p.m. before heading to Florida for the Fort Walton Beach Bash over spring break.