Playing on a field that had rarely been kind to them through the years, the Harlan Green Dragons made baseball history on Tuesday in an 8-3 win at Harlan County.
The Green Dragons completed their regular season district schedule at 6-0 for the first time since the current district alignment began when Harlan County High School opened in the fall of 2008. Harlan also completed its first two-game sweep of HCHS in school history and won for only the third time against the Bears at Harlan County and the first time since 2022.
“That’s a great accomplishment for this bunch, but I just told them that the challenge is to get a little better tomorrow than you are today,” said Harlan coach Lee Freyer. “They have played their tails off. They executed a little better today, but we have to get better every day.”
Harlan County freshman Carson Clark made the start on the mound with senior ace Alex Creech on crutches following a knee injury suffered in the Bears’4-1 loss a day earlier at Harlan as he raced to beat at throw at first base and then turned to go to second before going down.
Clark held the Dragons without a run in the first two innings, but Harlan reeled off six straight hits in a five-run third inning that put Harlan in control to stay. The top six hitters In the Harlan order produced two hits each, led by leadoff hitter Baylor Varner with a double and single. Brody Owens, Eli Freyer, Jared Moore, Luke Luttrell and Jake Brewer added two singles each. Caiden Jackson had one single.
“We had to make an adjustment to the pitching we saw tonight,” Freyer said. “We made an adjustment and focused more on going up the middle instead of trying to pull everything. We had a lot of singles, but you have to take what you can get. We want to get on, get over and get in. That’s kind of our philosophy.”
The one negative on the night for Harlan was the loss of sophomore left-hander Luke Luttrell to an injury with two outs in the sixth inning as he grabbed his arm after a pitch to Gunnar Johnson. Luttrell gave up three runs on three hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. Freyer said Luttrell’s status wouldn’t be known until he is examined.
Jared Moore recorded the final four outs, giving up two hits and no runs.
Clark allowed five runs on eight hits with no strikeouts or walks in 2 1/3 innings. Zayden Casolari allowed three runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings, with two strikeouts and one walk.
DaShaun Smith led the Bears on offense with a double. Gunner Burkhart, Jesse Gilbert, Johnson and Aiden Craig added singles.
Harlan (12-9) pilaus host to Leslie County on Thursday. Harlan County (4-12) plays at Whitley County on Thursday.
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Harlan 005 120 0 — 8. 13. 1
Harlan County 001 101 0 — 3 5 3
Luttrell, Moore (6) and Owens; Clark, Casolari (3) and Smith. WP — Luttrell (4-2). LP — Clark