Led by three hits and two RBI each from Brody Owens and Chris Rouse, Harlan gained a split in a trip to Floyd County on Saturday with a 16-3 rout of East Ridge. The Dragons were unable to hang on to a 9-6 lead in the opening game and fell 10-9 to Floyd Central in nine innings.
Aiden Johnson also had two hits for the Dragons and earned the win on the mound as he gave up one unearned run on two hits in 3 1/3 innings on the mound. Jared Moore started for the Dragons, giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits with four strikeouts and five walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Jake Brewer added a two-run triple for Harlan. Luke Luttrell added a triple and drove in four runs. Baylor Varner, Eli Freyer, Gunner Snelling and Caden Middleton added one single each.
Floyd Central scored three runs in the seventh inning to pull even, then won in the ninth inning as Mason Anderson opened the inning with a single, took second on an error in right field and scored on Logan Meade’s hit.
Luke Luttrell and Brewer each had three hits for the Dragons. Varner had two hits. Moore added a double. Freyer, Johnson and Beck Bryson added one single each.
Luttrel gave up six runs (one earned) on two hits with five strikeouts and five walks in 3 2/3 innings. Freyer allowed one hit and one walk in two-thirds of an inning. Brewer struck out one in 1 2/3 shutout innings. Varner suffered the loss as he allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits in two-plus innings, with one strikeout and two walks.
“It was a good day of baseball today. Our bats really woke up. We were seeing the ball well —26 hits in two games,” Harlan coach Lee Freyer said. “The first game against Floyd was back and forth at the beginning. Luke settled in, Eli and Jake came in in relief, then Baylor came in to close the door. I believe they all pitched well enough for us to get the win. The problem is defensively we weren’t up to our standards. Anytime you commit eight errors you are going to have a difficult time winning games. Of Floyd’s 10 runs only three were earned. We talked about that after the game. Free bases win baseball games. As a team, we need to do a better job of limiting those free bases. The boys came back and responded well against East Ridge. 16 runs on 14 hits — offensively can’t ask for more than that. Defensively, we still have to clean it up.”
Harlan (12-6) travels to Williamsburg on Monday.
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Harlan 330 203 5 — 16. 14. 3
East Ridge 001 110 0 — 3. 4. 6
Moore, Johnson (4) and Rouse; Ratliff, Sanders (4), Ramsey (5), Cantrell (7) and Robinson. WP — Johnson (3-0). LP — Ratliff.
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Harlan 134 100 000 — 9. 12. 8
Floyd Central 220 200 301 — 10. 8. 4
Luttrell, Freyer (4), Brewer (5), Varner (7) and Owens; Crum, Jenkins (7) and Meade. WP — Jenkins. LP — Varner (2-3).