By Les Dixon / Sports Editor
When it comes to winning championships, pitching is key.
And it looks as if James Brooks’ North Laurel Minor League All Stars have enough pitching to make a deep run into post-season play.
North Laurel’s pitching staff flexed their muscles for the third consecutive game, while its offense shined as well during its impressive 18-1 win over Clay County in the winner’s bracket finals of the Area 2 Tournament in Corbin.
“Before the game started, I asked the kids to show a lot of heart and character and they did that tonight,” Brook said. “This group of kids go out and do everything I have asked them to do. We came out and hit the ball well and pitched the ball well.”
It didn’t take long for North Laurel to take control of the game, as Shane Caudill and Cole McWhorter each scored on passed balls in the first inning to give their team a 2-0 edge.
The two runs turned out to be all pitcher Weston Griebel would need.
He finished the game with eight strikeouts and limited Clay County to only two hits during his five innings of work.
“Weston pitched a great game for us,” Brooks said. “I couldn’t have asked him to do any better. He was great out there tonight.”
North Laurel added to its lead in the third inning, as six runs scored. Brian Gray, Griebel, Caudill, Matt Brooks, McWhorter and Dalton Smith each scored in the inning, while Brooks, McWhorter and Tyler Conway each drove in runs in with hits.
Brooks’ squad added another run in the fifth inning, as Gaynor drove in Conway with a ground out to give North Laurel a 9-0 edge.
North Laurel continued its dominance in the top of the sixth inning by scoring nine runs.
Smith and Gaynor had run-scoring hits in the inning, while McWhorter delivered a run-scoring double.
“I never expected us to hit the ball like we did tonight,” Brooks said. “I knew we could hit, but I didn’t think we would score 18 runs.
The win advances North Laurel to the District Tournament in Tri-Cities, which will begin next week.
Local Sports
Too hard to handle
- Local Sports
-
-
Change of Pace
The old saying goes, “Where there is smoke there is fire,” and that was the case on Tuesday as Cameron Smoak led Williamsburg to a 43-33 win over a physical Berea team.
-
Smith leads Redhounds past McCreary Central
The Corbin Redhounds made all of the right adjustments at halftime and managed to use a big third quarter to pull off a 50-46 road win over McCreary Central.
-
Wildcats fall on the road to Jellico, Tenn., 85-67
The Lynn Camp Wildcats dropped their fourth game in a row after falling to Jellico, Tenn. Tuesday, 85-67.
-
Lady Wildcats roll; Knox Central falls on the road to Pulaski Co.
The Barbourville Tigers traveled to Leslie County and picked up their fourth straight win as they handed the Eagles a 63-57 loss.
-
Hill Topper
The Jaguars were looking for a little revenge after suffering a 61-54 loss to the Redhounds earlier in the season, but Trevor Hill was not going to let that happen as the eighth-grader from Corbin went up high to grab the rebound and tipped it back in at the buzzer to give his team a 52-50 win over North Laurel.
-
Tough loss
The youngest player on the floor was the coolest down the stretch Monday as eighth-grade guard Brooklyn Massingill took over in the fourth quarter and powered Harlan County to a 46-38 victory over visiting Corbin.
-
Back on Track
Four players scored in double figures Saturday for North Laurel, as the Jaguars handed outmanned Oneida Baptist a 66-45 loss.
- 13th Region Boys and Girls Statistical Leaders
-
Lady Panthers too much for Barbourville
The Knox Central Lady Panthers improved to 16-9 overall and 6-0 in district play as they handed their cross-town rival, Barbourville, a 70-58 loss on Saturday.
-
Lady Cardinals win seventh straight game
The South Laurel Lady Cardinals crashed the boards and picked up the win in what was otherwise an ugly 46-30 victory over Casey County on Saturday.
- More Local Sports Headlines
-









