The Harlan County Black Bears will face off against the North Laurel Jaguars at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Harlan County headed into their last match having not scored more than two runs for three straight, but Letcher County Central let them put that streak behind them. The Black Bears narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Cougars 12-11. The victory continues a trend for the Black Bears in their matchups with the Cougars: they've now won five in a row.
Dashaun Smith
| 04/14/25 vs Middlesboro | 3 |
| 05/15/25 vs Letcher County Central | 2 |
| 04/15/25 @ Middlesboro | 2 |
| 05/10/25 @ Knox Central | 1 |
| 05/09/25 @ Perry County Central | 1 |
| + 4 more games |
Harlan County got a massive performance out of Dashaun Smith, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. The Black Bears are undefeated when Smith posts two or more runs, but 5-18-1 otherwise. Aiden Craig was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run.
Harlan County was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .452. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, North Laurel entered their tilt with Tates Creek on Thursday with five consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with six. They had just enough and edged out the Commodores 6-4.
Cam Hinkle was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Hinkle wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Carter Kelley, who went 1-for-4 with one run and one double.
North Laurel's win bumped their record up to 17-12. As for Harlan County, their victory bumped their record up to 8-18-1.
Harlan County suffered a grim 12-0 defeat to North Laurel when the teams last played on Monday. Will the Black Bears have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
