Eighth-grader Luke Luttrell pitched a no-hitter and the Harlan offense pounded out 14 hits in a 19-1 rout in three innings of visiting Lynn Camp on Thursday.
“It was a good bounce game for us. Our last two games have went down to the wire. We needed this mentally after Jackson County and Barbourville,” Harlan coach Lee Freyer said. “We talk about showing improvement in each game, and we are seeing that. We still have a lot of things to clean up, but I believe we are headed in the right direction. “
Luttrell struck out six and walked five in improving to 2-0 on the season.
“Luke Luttrell pitched a great game. It’s his first no-hitter. He does a good job getting ahead in the count. When he does that, good things happen,” Freyer said. “We hit the ball well overall as a team. Patience at the plate has been improving. We talk a lot about getting yourself in a favorable count by not swinging at bad pitches. This game we did a good job laying off balls and hitting strikes.”
The Dragons had five with two hits, including Donovan Montanaro, Baylor Varner, El Freyer, Luttrell and Jake Brewer. Jaedyn Gist, Jared Moore, Aiden Johnson and Brody Owens added one hit each. Varner drove in four runs, while Montanaro, Gist and Brewer scored three each.
Harlan scored nine runs in the first 10 inning and 10 in the second as the Dragons sent 13 batters to the plate in the first inning and 15 in the second.
The 3-4 Dragons return to action Saturday at home against Elliott County.
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Lynn Camp 001 — 1. 0. 5
Harlan 9(10) — 19 14. 1
Sanders and Agosto; Luttrell and Owens. WP — Luttrell (2-0). LP — Sanders.
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The Harlan Green Dragons have grown accustomed to close games early in the 2023 season. Unfortunately, they’ve been on the losing end of most of them.
Barbourville broke open a tie game with a three-run sixth inning and held on for a 6-5 win when the Dragons scored twice in the seventh inning. Eli Freyer drove in two runs in the seventh with a single, and Harlan had the tying and go-ahead runs on base with one out when Nate Montanaro grounded into a double play.
Donovan Montanaro led the Dragons with a double. Jaedyn Gist, Baylor Varner, Jared Moore, Nate Montanaro, Brody Owens, Matthew Nunez and Freyer had singles.
Moore suffered the loss on the mound as he gave up four runs (one earned) on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks in six innings. Donovan Montanaro started the game but walked the three batters he faced and allowed two runs.
Matthew Warren, Sam Buchanan, Kieren Pearson, Ty Clark, Brendan Chafin and Jaxon Collins had one hit each for Barbourville.
The 2-4 Dragons play host to Lynn Camp on Thursday.
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Harlan 120 000 2 — 5. 8. 3
Barbourville 300 003 x — 6. 6. 1
D, Montanaro, Moore (1) and Owens; Sowders, Buchanan (3), Warren (6) and West. WP — Warren. LP — Moore (0-2).