When he tells his grandkids about his Harlan baseball days a few decades from now, Jared Moore will have a story very few can match.
Harlan trailed by one against Bell County with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning in the 52nd District Tournament finals. Moore, the most experienced player on the Harlan roster as a senior in his fifth season, ripped a two-run single into left field for a walkoff 5-4 win to give the Dragons back-to-back district titles for the first time since 1996 and 1997.
“I wasn’t really thinking about it being the seventh inning and walking it off,” said Moore, moments after his game-winning hit. “I was just thinking about putting the ball in play. It’s a way to go out with a bang, I guess.”
“These guys have confidence,” Harlan coach Lee Freyer said. “We practice every day and they are confident with each other and love each other.”
Bell owned the momentum after scoring two runs in the top of the seventh to take the lead. The Dragons had the bottom of the order coming up and had produced only one hit through six innings before Grant Shelton singled to left and Jaxson Perry singled to right. Jake Brewer popped out to catcher Alex Creech before Brody Owens beat out an infield single to second for one run.
Bell coach Jeff Sziksai replaced Brayden Carroll with Cooper Brock at that point. Brock hit Eli Freyer to load the bases again before Moore ended the game with his hit into left field.
“Our guys in the 7, 8, 9 spots take pride in it and have a little chant. I have confidence in all of them. They can hit anywhere,” Freyer said. “They all seem to love a dogfight and like going all seven innings. You tell them all the time there’s not a switch they can flip off and on, but they’ve done it all year. As a coach it can drive you mad, but you love watching them compete and play for each other. I’ve had most of these kids since they were 8 years old, and they have put in the work. I tell them all the time I don’t ask for much. I just ask for all of your free time from February to June.”
Moore led the 16-12 Dragons on offense with two singles. Owens, Shelton and Perry had one hit each.
Jackson Walters and Holden Clark had two hits each for the 14-10 Bobcats. Joseph Brigmon and Ty Mays added one hit each.
Brigmon started the mound and gave up two runs on one hit with two strikeouts and four walks over four-plus innings. Carroll allowed three runs on there hits with two strikeouts and one walk in 2 1/3 innings.
Harlan ace Baylor Varner, recently sidelined by an ankle sprain, pitched six-plus innings, giving up two runs on four hits with six strikeout and six walks. Owens earned the win as he allowed two runs on two hits with one strikeout and two walks in one inning.
“Baylor is a dog,” Freyer said. “You can ask every inning how he feels with his ankle and arm and he will tell you he’s fine. He never wants to come out. He reminds me a lot of (Harlan assistant coach) Will (Varner). You couldn’t pry him off the mound with a crowbar half the time.”
Harlan produced the game’s first run in the second inning after Moore led off with a single up the middle. Luke Luttrell moved Moore to second with a sacrifice bunt, then pinch runner Zach Boggs took third on a wild pitch. Varner brought Boggs home with a perfectly executed suicide squeeze,
Walters and Brigmon opened the top of the third with hits, then moved up a base on a double steal. Hunter Fuson brought in the tying run a sacrifice fly to right.
Bell took the lead in the fifth as Brock led off with a walk, took second on a passed ball and stole third. He scored on Brayden Carroll’s hard hit grounder to second.
Harlan answered in.the bottom of the fifth, loading the bases with no outs Chris Rouse and Perry each drew walks sandwiched around Shelton being hit by a pitch. Carroll came in to pitch after the first two Dragons reached base and got a pop up from Jake Brewer for the first out. Owens hit a ground ball up the middle that appeared destined for the outfield before Ayden Smith made a diving stop and tossed the ball to Blake Burnett at short for a force out that plated only one run instead of two. Moore grounded out to end the threat.
Brock walked to open the seventh, signaling the end for Varner on the mound. Walters’ bunt single put two runners on base before Brigmon grounded into a fielder’s choice at third. Carroll walked and Hunter Fuson struck out to load the bases with two outs, setting up Ty Mays for a two-out, two-run single that could have won the game if not for the Dragons’ heroics in the bottom of the inning.
Both teams will play in the 13th Region Tournament, opening Monday at Bell County.
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Bell County 001 010 2 — 4. 6. 0
Harlan q 010 010 3 — 5. 5. 0
Brigmon, Carroll (5), Brock (7) and Creech; Varner, Owens (7) and Rouse. WP — Owens (2-3). LP — .Carroll.