By Jerry Burns / For The Times-Tribune
The North Laurel 11-year-old All Stars moved one step loser to the 11-year-old State Tournament after upending rival South London, 8-3.
South London won 15-0 Wednesday against Clay County and will face North Laurel again today at 7 p.m. in the finals.
North Laurel jumped out to a 5-0 lead before putting the game away with three runs in the top of the sixth inning.
Pitchers Kyle Jeffers and Austin Rudder combined to limit South Laurel’s potent offensive attack to only five hits in the game.
North Laurel’s Zack Lawson started things off for his team with a lead-off double in the first inning. Jeffers followed with a walk and both players scored thanks to passed balls.
North Laurel took control of the game in the second inning by scoring three runs.
Lawson and Jeffers added consecutive singles and a walk to Tucker Sharp loaded the bases for Keaton Kennedy.
Kennedy cleared the bases with a single and gave his team a commanding 5-0 edge during the process.
South London tried to rally in the bottom of the second inning, as John McFarland connected with a double, while Tyler Sears and Logan Mallory each drew walks, but Jeffers settled down on the mound and got out of the bases loaded jam.
North Laurel tried to add on to its lead in the fourth inning after Lawson and Jeffers reached base again with consecutive hits, but South London’s Braden Miller got out of the jam by striking out the next three batters he faced.
Miller tried to help his own cause in the next inning by connecting with a double, while McFarland followed with a two-run homer to cut South London’s deficit to 5-2.
South London continued to rally in the fifth inning after a run-scoring hit by Zack Allen. South London loaded the bases again with only one out, but Austin Rudder got his team out of trouble by striking out the next two batters he faced.
Ethan Maxey put the game away for North Laurel in the top of the sixth with a two-run double to make the score, 7-3. Austin Rudder also added a run-scoring hit to seal the win for North Laurel.
Tony Radford’s squad turned a game-ending double play in the sixth inning to advance to the finals of the District 4 Tournament.
“We have worked on that thing ever since the All Star team has been put together,” Radford said. “It finally paid off for us ...”
Local Sports
North stuns South
- Local Sports
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Cards stand ground
It took a team effort, but South Laurel was able to make the big play late to defeat Harlan County, 5-4, and advance to the semifinals of the 13th Region Baseball Tournament.
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Moving on
It wasn’t easy, but North Laurel managed to sneak by Corbin, 2-1, during the first round of the 13th Region Baseball Tournament Monday.
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Lady Cards slip past Clay County
James Burns’ South Laurel Lady Cardinals continued a recurring theme in the first round of the 13th Region Fastpitch Tournament — scoring runs with two outs and nobody on.
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Bell eliminates Knox Central
Bell County built a comfortable 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning against Knox Central in first round action of the 13th Region Fastpitch Tournament Monday, but still needed a leaping catch by centerfielder Alisha Russell to seal the deal on the Lady Bobcats’ win over the Lady Panthers.
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Errors lead to Barbourville’s 15-0 loss to Harlan County
A crucial error in the second inning led to five unearned runs for Harlan County, as the Lady Black Bears cruised to an easy 15-0 win over Barbourville in four innings Monday during first round action of the 13th Region Fastpitch Tournament.
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Knox Central puts up fight before losing to Middlesboro, 6-2
Middlesboro’s Nick Capps took care of business and managed to hold off Knox Central, 6-2, to advance to the second round of the 13th Region Baseball Tournament Monday.
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North runs win streak to 19 games
The North Laurel Lady Jaguars were clicking on all cylinders Monday during first round action of the 13th Region Fastpitch Tournament as they defeated Corbin in five innings, 12-0.
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Tigers drop 10-2 decision
Clay County was forced to put the ball on the ground, but once they did they were able to get going as they defeated Barbourville, 10-2, during the first round of the 13th Region Tournament Monday.
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Who really are the favorites this year?
Corbin and North Laurel High Schools’ first round match-ups in both the 13th Region Baseball Tournament and 13th Region Fastpitch Tournament will highlight Monday’s first round action.
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Fantastic Finish
Brandon Hillard’s Knox Central Panthers almost pulled off a shocker before falling to rival Barbourville, 7-6, in the finals of the 51st District title game Thursday.
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