Already in his third season as a varsity baseball player, Harlan sophomore Baylor Varner has already enjoyed quite a few good nights on the mound for the Green Dragons. None, however, were quite as good as Baylor’s night on Monday at Middlesboro.
Varner pitched a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts and only one walk as the Green Dragons coasted to an 8-0 win. Varner walked Case Bayless with one out in the first inning, then retired 19 in a row, including picking Bayless off first base, before Malachi Coots reached on Harlan’s only error of the night with two outs in the seventh inning.
“Baylor was dominant tonight. What else can you say? He had command of all his pitches and looked extremely comfortable out there,” Harlan coach Lee Freyer said. “When he is locked in like that, he is very difficult to hit. This county and this district is blessed with seeing some good pitchers this year. There is zero doubt he is one of them.”
Luke Luttrell and Jared Moore led the Harlan offense as each recorded a double and single with Moore driving in two runs and Luttrell driving in one. Chris Rouse added an RBI double while Varner had a single and a sacrifice fly for the 11-6 Dragons.
Senior lefthander Kim Wilson gave up fiver runs (three earned) on four hits in five innings, with seven strikeouts and four walks for the 2-11 Jackets. Ethan Johnson gave up three runs (two earned) on two hits in two innings, with two strikeouts and one walk.
The two teams play again on Tuesday at Harlan.
———
Harlan 120 020 3 — 8. 6. 1
Middlesboro 000 000 0 — 0. 0. 5
Varner and Owens; Wilson, Johnson (6) and Colt Bayless. WP — Varner (2-2). LP — Wilson.