Harlan County hasn't had much luck against Knox Central recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Black Bears will venture away from home to challenge the Panthers at 12:00 p.m.
Harlan County easily dispatched Letcher County Central on Tuesday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Black Bears fell just short of Perry County Central by a score of 6-4 on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Black Bears have suffered since May 11, 2024.
Harlan County saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jesse Gilbert, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Knox Central took on Bell County last Thursday. The Panthers were the clear victors by a 10-1 margin over the Bobcats. The win was familiar territory for the Panthers, who have now won three contests in a row.
Zack Carrol spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on seven hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Brady Engle was incredible, getting on base in all five of his plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Knox Central's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 3-1 (and 3-10 when he doesn't). John Hobbs was another key player, going 3-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
Knox Central pushed their record up to 6-11 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Harlan County, their loss dropped their record down to 7-15-1.
Harlan County beat Knox Central 7-4 in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Black Bears since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
