Harlan ends skid with routs of Buckhorn, Pineville

Published 11:35 pm Saturday, March 30, 2019

Harlan broke out of a four-game losing streak in a big way Saturday with a pair of wins at home, 13-3 in six innings over Buckhorn and 10-5 over Pineville.

“We have had some adversity that we have been battling this year and I’m proud of the boys for coming out and playing the way we did. This was a great day of baseball for us,” Harlan coach Cory Estep said. “We had some boys step up and play some vital roles for us. We have been playing the past couple games with a bunch of our guys missing and some going through injuries. These wins were a direct reflection of all the work that’s been put in by these guys.”

Pineville defeated Buckhorn 12-2 in five innings in the second of three games played at the Harlan field.

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Senior right-hander Michael Robinson scattered 11 hits over six innings, with five strikeouts and two walks, to earn the win. Evan Browning allowed one hit in one inning of relief.

“I’m proud of the way Michael came out and competed today. He hasn’t had a great start on the mound this year and he stepped up today, hit his spots and helped put us in a great situation to win the second game. I also have to give credit to Wil McCarthy for setting the tone on the mound during the first game,” Estep said. “Offensively, we’ve got to give the credit to everyone who has came in and took the extra reps to get better this past week. Our hitters, 1-9, put in a lot of work and it showed. I’m proud of them. and I know that this marathon of a season is only starting, but I like how we are playing.”

Senior third baseman Jared Hawkins led Harlan’s nine-attack with three singles in three at bats. Kilian Ledford added a triple and single. Browning added a double and single. Robinson and Josh Knuckles added one single each.

Reese Capps had three singles and Timmy Gambrel added a double and single for the Lions. Walker Landrum contributed two singles. Jonathan Simpson, Cody Goodin, Reed Baker, Evan Biliter and Deion Coffman added one single each.

Coffman gave up 10 runs on nine hits in six innings to suffer the loss. He struck out five and walked two.

Pineville scored once in the first inning on hits by Simpson and Capps. Harlan answered with two in the bottom of the inning as Ledford opened with a triple and scored on Browning’s double. Knuckles brought in the go-ahead run with an RBI ground out to second.

Harlan exploded for six runs in the third inning. Browning led off with a single and Robinson walked and Knuckles was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Wil McCarthy walked to force in a run and Shane Lindsey’s sacrifice fly brought in another run. Hawkins had an RBI single and Kanyon Hall was safe on an error for another run. Ledford closed the scoring with a two-run single for an 8-1 lead.

Robinson and Knuckles singled and McCarthy brought in a run with a ground out as Harlan scored once in the fourth inning.

Pineville was able to string together four straight hits — a double by Gambrel and singles by Capps, Goodin and Landrum — to score three runs in the fifth. Chandler Baker walked to force in a run before Robinson worked out of a bases-loaded jam by getting Simpson to ground out to John Mark Bryson.

Robinson was safe on an error in the sixth inning and came all the way home when a throw to second on a steal attempt went into center field.

Ledford had a triple and single to lead Harlan’s 11-hit attack in the win over Buckhorn. Browning and Bryson added a double and single each. Robinson singled twice. Knuckles, David Vanwinkle and Shane Lindsey added one single each.

McCarthy gave up three unearned runs and five hits In five innings, while striking out eight and walking six. Browning pitched one hitless inning in relief with one strikeout.

Harlan (3-4) returns to action Monday at home against Barbourville.

———

Pineville 100 130 0 — 5. 12. 4

Harlan 206 101 x — 10. 9. 5

Coffman and Goodin, Capps (6); Robinson, Browning (7) and Knuckles. WP — Robinson (1-2). LP — Coffman.

———

Buckhorn 102 000 — 3. 5. 4

Harlan 307 201 — 13. 11. 3

Johnson, Bush (5) and Miller; McCarthy, Browning (6) and Knuckles. WP — McCarthy (1-1). LP — Johnson.