All-STARS

 The Corbin Junior League came up short in their quest to reach the Kentucky Junior League State Baseball Tournament with an 11-6 loss to North Laurel Monday night at Corbin’s House Field.

It was the third time the teams had met in the tournament. North Laurel sent Corbin to the loser’s bracket July 6, but Coach C.E. Brittain’s team fought their way back to the championship game with wins over Burnside, Hazard and North Laurel.

After its loss to North Laurel in the first gamer of the tournament, Corbin defeated Burnside, 13-6, then squeezed past Hazard, 7-4.

Corbin faced elimination for the third day in a row Sunday when they met North Laurel. However, this time Corbin spotted North Laurel a 6-0 lead then stormed back to take a 15-8 win.

That set up the rubber game and a winner take all Monday night. The heat index set the game back an hour and a half and the teams didn’t take the field until 8:15 p.m.

Andrew Jones took the mound for Corbin and gave up two quick runs. However, a patient Corbin team battled back against Ryan Abner and drew four straight walks. Connor Hicks, Corey Ledington and Jones loaded the bases via the four-ball count. A walk to Zack Ingle allowed Hicks to score the first run of the game for Corbin.

Jaxon Stewart followed with a sacrifice to short for the first out, but allowed Ledington to score. A base hit to center field by John Mark Cushman sent Jones home for a 3-2 lead.

North Laurel tied the game with a run in the top of the second, but Austin O’Neill scored in the home half of the inning to put the local team back on top. However, Corbin left two runners stranded, something they would do much of the game.

North Laurel took the lead for good in the top of the third with three runs on four base hits.

Corbin had a chance to get back in the game in the bottom of the fourth when a pitch hit John Bridges. Tanner Barnes hit into an error and Ledington hit a single. However, none of the runners scored.

The game heated up in the top of the fifth when North Laurel’s Dylon Messer was ejected from the game for running over Stewart, the catcher. North Laurel added a run and left the bases loaded. Jones saw his pitching limit reach 95 in the inning and Braden Sevier came to the mound for Corbin. He struck out Braxton Hicks to get out of the jam.

Corbin ran themselves out of the fifth inning when Ingle and Stewart walked with one out. However, Sevier grounded a pitch to the second base side of the field and the ball hit Stewart in the leg for the automatic out. Peyton Buford then popped out to the catcher to end the inning.

Down 7-4, Corbin gave up two runs in the top of the sixth then tried to battle back in the home half of the inning. O’Neill led off with a single in front of the plate then went to second on a successful bunt by Kyler Allen down the first base line.

Hicks followed with a two-run double as Corbin closed the game to 9-6. Hicks moved to third on a wild pitch before Jones drew a walk. North Laurel pitcher Braxton Hicks struck out Ingle then intentionally walked Stewart to load the bases. The strategy worked as Sevier went down on strikes to end the inning.

North Laurel added two runs in the top of the seventh to put the game away.

Corbin 15, North Laurel 8: It looked like North Laurel would take the championship Sunday when they jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and had ace pitchers Jake Messer and Logan Mallory available. 

However, both pitchers struggled on the mound and combined to give up eight runs on seven walks, a hit batter, and infield error and two base hits by Corbin in the top of the second. Stewart accounted for three RBI’s with a triple.

Corbin added a solo run in the third when Jones scored after being hit by a pitch. Jones stole second then scored on an Ingle base hit.

Ingle got the start on the mound for Corbin, but had control problems. Ledington came into the game and limited North Laurel to just two runs.

Corbin 7, Hazard 4: While the visitors were planning who was going to pitch in Monday’s championship game, Corbin jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.

Ledington started the rally when he was hit by a pitch and stole second. Jones reached base on an error as Ledington moved to third. Jones quickly stole second and the two scored on an Ingle base hit to center field.

Stewart followed with a base hit and Cushman loaded the bases with a single. Back-to-back errors allowed Buford and Ethan Wilson to reach base and pick up a pair of RBI’s as the host took a 4-0 lead.

Corbin added three runs in the fourth. With the bases loaded by Hicks, Sevier and Ingle, Stewart blasted a triple to left field for the seven-run margin.

Hazard tighten the game with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth and again in the top of the seventh.

Corbin 13, Burnside 6: Everyone got in on the action as Corbin rolled past Burnside Friday night, 13-6. Corbin took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second then added four more runs in the third.

Corbin took advantage of Burnside pitching in the bottom of the second by drawing three walks to go along with base hits by Wilson and Ledington.

In the fourth, Ingle, Cushman and Buford had consecutive singles to start the inning. After a strike out to Tanner Barnes and a ground out by Sevier, Allen’s hit scored Ingle. A walk to O’Neill sent Cushman home and Ledington followed with a two-run single that put Corbin ahead 7-0.

Allen got the win while striking out eight batters in four innings. Ledington and Ingle also pitched in the win.

North Laurel 11, Corbin 8

North Laurel 213  012  2- 11  14  1

Corbin   310  002  0-   6    7  2

Ryan Abner, Braxton Hicks (2), Jake McWhorter and Trey Feltner, Keaton Kennedy. Andrew Jones, John Mark Cushman (4), Braden Sevier and Jaxon Stewart. W-Hicks, L-Jones. 3B- Kennedy (NL).   2B-Rudder (NL), Kennedy (NL), Nelson (NL), Hicks (C). LOB-North Laurel 7, Corbin 13.