Baseball Recap: Harlan County Takes a Loss

Harlan County had lost four straight on the road, but on Monday they dropped their record down to 5-12-1 to make it five. They fell 4-1 to the Harlan Green Dragons. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Black Bears of the 11-3 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in May of 2024.

Aiden Craig was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-2 with one triple and one run. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.

As for Harlan, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight games. That's provided a massive bump to their 10-7 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.1 runs over those games.

On Harlan's side, Baylor Varner was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Varner has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.

In other batting news, Jake Brewer was excellent, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since April 1st.

While Harlan County had to take the loss, they won't have to wait long to give it another shot: the pair's next game is a rematch scheduled at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.