Facing perhaps the 13th Region’s best two teams in back-to-back games, the Harlan County Black Bears fell to 1-5 on the season with a 10-2 loss Friday to visiting North Laurel, following a 12-0 loss Wednesday at Knox Central.

Eli Sizemore limited the Black Bears to two runs on five hits over five innings to earn the victory. He struck out four and walked one. Alex Binder pitched the final two innings, giving up two hits with one strikeout and no walks.

Kaleb Collett led the North offense with a double and two singles. Will Hellard had a double and single for three RB. Binder, Blake Vanhook and Seth McClure had two singles each. Sizemore and Caden Harris contributed one single each.

Jordan Steele led HCHS with a double and single. Tyler Casolari, J Harris, Garry Henson and Eli Estep had one single each.

North grabbed a 4-0 lead in the first inning as Binder and Vanhook started the game with consecutive singles. Harris and Hellard each singled in runs and Collett doubled in a run.

The Bears cut the lead in half in the second as Casolari led off with a single and courtesy runner Michael Simpson scored on Steele’s single past second base Estep’s single pushed courtesy runner C.J. Carruba to third. Carruba scored on Zac Collett’s bunt.

The Jaguars picked up a run in the fourth on Sizemore’s RBI single and added four in the fifth, highlighted by Hellard’s two-run double.

Harris started on the mound for HCHS and gave up six runs on eight hits in four-plus innings, with three strikeouts and two walks. Benjamin Lewis gave up three runs on three hits. Eighth-grader Brayden Blakley continued his impressive start this season by limiting North to one run in three innings, with seven strikeouts and three walks.

Harlan County travels to Barbourville on Thursday. North Laurel will begin play Monday in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

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North Laurel 400 140 1 — 10. 13. 3

Harlan County 020 000 0 — 2. 6. 1

Sizemore and Vanhook; Harris, Lewis (5), Blakley (5) and Casolari. WP — Sizemore. LP — Harris (0-3).

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Cory Bright and Evan Landrum teamed on a.no-hitter as Knox Central coasted to a 12-0 five-inning win Wednesday at Harlan County.

Bright struck out three and walked one in three innings. Landrum fanned five and walked two in two innings.

Benjamin Lewis gave up seven runs (four earned) in two innings. J Harris gave up four runs (two earned) on five hits in 2 1/3 innings. Jordan Steele allowed one run on one hit as he recorded the final two outs.

Jaylen Adams, Larken Adams and Brady Worley each had two hits to lead the Knox Central offense.

Harlan County (1-4) plays host to North Laurel on Friday. Knox Central (4-2) plays at South Laurel on Thursday.

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Knox Central 234 03 — 12. 11. 2

Harlan County 000 00 — 0. 0. 4

Bright, Lahdrum (4) and Worley; Lewis, Harris (3), Steele (5) and Casolari. WP — Bright. LP — Lewis (0-2).