LEXINGTON, Ky. — Campbell County continued its postseason run Friday, defeating LaRue County 6-1 in the first round of the KHSAA State Baseball Tournament at Lexington Legends Field. The Camels’ pitching staff threw 37 consecutive scoreless innings in the postseason before giving up one run in the 7th inning against LaRue County.
Campbell County will now play Owensboro Apollo, who upset No. 2-ranked Whitley County 5-3 in the opening round. First pitch is set for Saturday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. at Lexington Legends Field.
The Camels took the lead in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back. Jackson Bittner opened the inning with a single to left-center, moved to second on Dennis Mercurio’s sacrifice bunt and scored when Tyler Schumacher doubled down the left field line to make it 1-0.
Campbell County added three runs in the third. Finley Schultz led off with a double and advanced to third on Bittner’s groundout. Mercurio followed with a fielder’s choice that scored Schultz. Schumacher then reached on a fielder’s choice before Gavin Kramer reached on an error, putting two runners on for Camden Tiemeier. Tiemeier doubled to left, scoring Schumacher, and Kramer came home on a throwing error to extend the lead to 4-0.
The Camels pushed the lead to 6-0 in the fifth. Schumacher singled with one out. After a strikeout, Morehead State commit and catcher Tiemeier hit a two-run home run to deep left field, his tenth of the year.
LaRue County avoided the shutout in the seventh inning. Dekker Thomas walked with two outs, Cole Miller singled to left and Ryan Hughes singled up the middle to score Thomas. Schumacher ended the game by striking out Brady Skaggs.
Schumacher earned the win with a complete-game effort, allowing one run on six hits while striking out nine and walking four. He also went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.
Tiemeier led Campbell County at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and three RBIs. Bittner, Schultz and Schumacher each scored a run, while Mercurio drove in one. Lucas Anthrop added a triple for the Camels.
Thomas led LaRue County with two hits and a run scored. Hughes had the Hawks’ lone RBI, while Miller, Skaggs and Kobe Cahoe each added a hit.
Skaggs took the loss for LaRue County, allowing six runs, four earned, on seven hits over five innings. He struck out six and walked one.
LaRue County’s ace and Kentucky commit, Brady Singleton, was in the dugout with a brace on his throwing arm. Skaggs had thrown 27.1 innings coming into the game. Creed Price, who led the Hawks with 46 innings pitched and a 1.83 ERA with 59 strikeouts, did not appear in the game.
Campbell County improved to 26-13 and advanced to the state quarterfinals. LaRue County finished the season 30-9.
Box Score:
LaRue County — 000 000 1 — 1 6 2
Campbell County — 103 020 x — 6 7 1
WP — Tyler Schumacher. LP — Brady Skaggs.
HR — CC: Camden Tiemeier.
3B — CC: Lucas Anthrop.
2B — CC: Tyler Schumacher, Camden Tiemeier, Finley Schultz.
RBI — LC: Ryan Hughes; CC: Camden Tiemeier 3, Tyler Schumacher, Dennis Mercurio.
Records — LaRue County 30-9, Campbell County 26-13.
Pitching
LaRue County
Skaggs, L — 5 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K.
Seidl — 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
Campbell County
Schumacher, W — 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 9 K.
WP — Schumacher. LP — Skaggs.
First pitch — 10 a.m.
Duration — 1:46
Attendance — 1,394
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