By Terry Boehmker
NKy Tribune sports reporter
Campbell County scored 10 runs in the last two innings to turn a close game into a 14-3 runaway victory over Hazard in the quarterfinals of the state baseball tournament on Saturday at Whitaker Bank Ballpark in Lexington.
The Camels advance to the state semifinals for the first time since 1971 and play Bullitt East at 8:30 p.m. Friday. The championship game is set for 7 p.m. Saturday. This is the fourth time in the last five years that a Northern Kentucky team has made it to the final four of the state playoffs.
Campbell County scored four runs in the fifth inning and six runs in the sixth inning against Hazard. When Hazard failed to score in the bottom of the sixth, umpires stopped the game because of the 10-run rule.
Joe Eblin had a two-run single in the fifth inning and Connor Walsh had a two-run double in the sixth for the Camels, who are making their first appearance in the state tournament since 1989. Ethan Kremer capped off the team’s scoring with a run-scoring double to left field in the sixth.
The winning pitcher was Colton Hartig, who gave up three runs on four hits in four innings. Eblin pitched the last two innings and allowed only one hit.
Hazard leadoff hitter Griffin Wells opened the game with a solo home run off Hartig and the Bulldogs scored another run in the first inning to take an early lead. The score was tied, 3-3, in the fourth inning when Kremer belted a triple that scored Eblin to put the Camels ahead.
Campbell County (28-10) will take a nine-game winning streak into its semifinal game against Bullitt East (29-10) on Friday. The other semifinal matchup will be Louisville St. Xavier vs. McCracken County. In their seven playoff victories, the Camels have scored 78 runs and given up eight.