CITIZEN STAFF REPORT

BETSY LAYNE — Martin County fell to Paintsville 5-4 in a nail-biting conclusion to the semifinal round of the 15th Region All A Classic, held Monday at Betsy Layne High School field. The narrow loss came down to the last play in the ninth inning when Paintsville’s Brock Horne delivered a clutch single to drive in one run and end the game that had been deadlocked since the sixth inning.

The action started early when Martin County’s Ryan Stephens hit a sharp single in the first inning, putting the Cardinals ahead. Paintsville responded in the following innings, first tying the game at 1-1 in the second and then taking a slender lead in the third inning on a balk.

The Cardinals refused to go down without a fight. They rallied in the fifth with a run to tie. In the sixth, the Cardinals added two more to even the score at 4-4.

As the innings progressed, both teams’ pitchers were put to the test. Damien Cheek started for Martin County and, despite surrendering four runs across five innings, managed to keep his team in contention. The Cardinals bullpen was unable to preserve the tie, with Chase Stacy ultimately taking the loss.

For Paintsville, Dixon Kincheloe emerged as the winner on the mound. He allowed no hits and no runs over nearly two innings while striking out five.

Stephens had two hits and drove in a run for Martin County. Cheek singled and drove in two runs. Aiden Horn singled.

Martin County was set to travel to Jenkins for a game Tuesday (April 16) and will host Magoffin County on Wednesday.