The Bruins may have made their first trip to the KHSAA State Tournament in nearly nine years, but they did make some noise while they were there. A win over Corbin in Game One got them to the Elite Eight thanks to a great pitching performance by sophomore pitcher Zak Spurrier, but their next game opponent turned out to be the eventual state champions, St. Xavier and their season ended.
Spurrier got the call for Friday’s matchup and pitched a gem going the distance allowing just four-hits, one-earned run, two-walks and six-strikeouts while throwing 102 pitches in the win. His opposite number was Corbin’s Evan Poore, who only lasted 3.2 innings allowing two-runs, while giving up three hits, four walks and seven strikeouts before giving way to Bradric Helton, who went the rest of the way allowing just one-hit and no-runs.
The Bruins got their first run in the fourth inning after Sander Lucas came home from third thanks to a balk on Poore and then after both Mike Kirkpatrick and Lucas Lee walked, Lucas Thompson hit a line drive that fell in for a hit plating Kirkpatrick’s pinch runner (Easton Link) giving them a lead they would not lose.
Although Spurrier allowed a run in the seventh to the Redhounds, he did retire the last batter for the 2-1 win. Central Hardin had won their first game of the State Tournament for the third time and would now play the St. Xavier Tigers in the second round at University of Kentucky’s Proud Park, but things didn’t go quite as smoothly this time around as the Tigers scored in every inning of a 13-0 loss in just five innings.
Caden Alvey started for Todd Thompson’s team, but only lasted three-innings as the Tigers blitzed him for six-runs during that time followed by Christian Pinson, who allowed four runs in his inning of work before finally giving way to Sander Lucas, who allowed three-runs.
Meanwhile, Tiger starter Jake Gregor and Quinten Shewmaker (who came in as a closer in the fifth) did allow seven Bruin hits, but they could never string enough offense together to mount a serious strike. Ryan Bibb was the only Bruin with more than one hit in the loss as Central Hardin ended the season with a 29-10 record.
