‘We’re always expected to be here.’ Traditional state power shines in return to big stage.
It didn’t matter that Harrison County was a decade removed from its most recent state tournament appearance in 2013, or that most of its current lineup hadn’t started elementary school when the Thorobreds won the last of their four state titles in 2010.
“We’re always expected to be here,” said Elijah Harris, a junior shortstop. “When you get here, you have to perform. It’s not too much pressure, but you can feel it a little bit.”
Harris scored the winning run in Harrison County’s 2-1 victory over Pikeville in the Clark’s Pump-n-Shop Baseball State Tournament presented by UK HealthCare. In Saturday’s quarterfinals at Counter Clocks Field in Lexington, the Thorobreds (32-8) were to play Henderson County, which defeated Pulaski County in the final first-round game late Friday night.
A series of miscues enabled Harris to create the difference-maker. He worked a one-out walk in the top of the fifth inning and a couple pitches later advanced to second on a balk by Pikeville starter Isaac Duty. A bunt moved him over to third, from whence he sped and slid into home plate after a wild pitch from the Panthers’ ace.
The Thorobreds’ only other run came in the prior inning via a fielding error. It answered a Pikeville run in the bottom of the third that scored on an errant throw. Those mistakes mattered: the Panthers had a couple more hits than Harrison County, 8-6, and the teams each left several guys stranded (eight for Pikeville, nine for the Thorobreds).
Corey Vaughn won his 10th game on the mound and matched Duty, the tournament’s incoming leader in strikeouts, with seven on the night. He scored on the Pikeville fielding mishap, a scoopable liner that got through to shallow left.
“It was a pitcher’s game for sure,” Vaughn said. “It was a grind, and you just gotta stick through it. … Errors will definitely win or lose you a game in a spot like this.”
Harrison County before Friday night had just a single one-run win this season, a 5-4 decision over Bourbon County in the Class 2A tournament sectional on March 28. Its two runs were the fewest since a 4-2 loss to Warren East in late April, and matched its fewest in any win this season (2-0 over Lloyd Memorial earlier in April).
The Thorobreds in their three 10th Region Tournament games outscored their opponents 28-7.
“We usually do more than that, but their pitcher kept us at bay,” Harrison County Coach Mac Whitaker said. “We had a couple chances and didn’t execute the way we wanted to, but we live for another day and we’ll come back and maybe we’ll pick it up tomorrow.”
Whitaker, who added career win no. 1,221 to his state-leading total, was quick to highlight Vaughn’s “gut it out” effort. He finished with 100 pitches in a complete game.
“He didn’t even have his breaking ball today at all and got by with his fast ball,” Whitaker said. “I’m very proud of our kids to hang in there and win a close game.”
Pikeville (24-12) made its third tournament appearance and was vying for the 15th Region’s first win at state since 2018. The Panthers’ tournament debut coincided with Harrison County’s last title run; they bowed out to the 2010 runner-up, Butler, 3-2 that season.
The Panthers managed to get two runners aboard with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but they couldn’t move them. Cliff McIlvain, Harrison County’s second baseman, fielded a ground ball and flipped it to Harris for the final out.
“At the very end of the game, I got really nervous there, but you just gotta stay in there,” Harris said. “You practice every day for this.”
Friday’s other games
Whitley County 4, LaRue County 3: Making just their second state-tournament appearance, the Colonels (36-4) halted a sixth-inning rally to advance after tagging Hawks ace Brayden Singleton, an eighth-grader, with four runs before the halfway mark.
Ronald Osborne singled in the first run in the bottom of the second before a groundout by Andrew Stack brought home another. In the next frame, Bryce Anderson scored on a passed ball with Hunter Wilson at the plate. Wilson, who along with teammate Sam Harp ranks in the top 25 statewide in RBI, hit a solo home run soon after to make it 4-0.
The Hawks (22-15) managed four of their seven hits with one out in the top of the sixth but left the tying run at second base. Ryan Hughes, a freshman, hit a one-out double in the final frame; his pinch-runner, Lucas Evans, was tagged at home after Whitley County’s Ryan Parker corralled a shot up the middle and delivered it to Wilson for the out.
South Warren 4, Breathitt County 3: The Spartans (27-9) manufactured the comeback they watched LaRue County attempt. They scored four runs in the top of the seventh to save their season and stun the Bobcats, who were making their state debut.
Isaac Bellamy nearly went the distance for Breathitt County (22-15) but was chased after yielding four hits in the final inning. Bellamy was responsible for all four South Warren runs, but the deciding one plated due to a balk by reliever Andrew Combs.
It was the third straight elimination game that the Spartans rallied from a late deficit to extend their season.
“I just told them I can’t handle it anymore,” South Warren Coach Chris Gage told the Bowling Green Daily News. “ ... I don’t know how they do it because the pressure is so tremendous at that point in the game.”
Henderson County 6, Pulaski County 1: Brennan Cates’ grand slam in the third inning broke open a scoreless affair to propel the Colonels (19-17) into the quarterfinals.
The 2nd Region champs got a complete game from starter Dru Meadows, who gave up just two hits and had six strikeouts.
Alec Satterfield drove in the Colonels’ other two runs on a single in the fourth inning. Pulaski County (21-17) got its only run across in the bottom of the fifth, via a ground ball from Wessen Fallin.
State tournament
At Counter Clocks Field in Lexington, June 1-3
At Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington, June 9-10
Tickets: gofan.co/app/school/KHSAA
Streaming video: KHSAA.tv (via subscription); Go.PrepSpin.com (pay per view)
Streaming audio: KHSAA.net
Thursday’s games
Eastern 7, Bullitt East 5
Shelby County 3, McCracken County 0
Lexington Catholic 6, Raceland 3
Apollo 3, Beechwood 0
Friday’s games
Whitley County 4, LaRue County 3
South Warren 4, Breathitt County 3
Harrison County 2, Pikeville 1
Henderson County 6, Pulaski County 1
Saturday’s quarterfinals
10 a.m.: Eastern (28-12) vs. Shelby County (30-9)
1:30 p.m.: Lexington Catholic (30-9) vs. Apollo (24-12)
5 p.m.: Harrison County (32-8) vs. Henderson County (19-17)
8:30 p.m.: Whitley County (36-4) vs. South Warren (27-9)
Friday, June 9
Semifinal games at 12:30 and 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 10
7 p.m.: Championship game
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