By Terry Boehmker
NKy Tribune sports reporter
Campbell County’s baseball team celebrated its long awaited return to the state tournament with a 5-1 win over Ohio County in a first-round game on Friday night at Whitaker Bank Ball Park in Lexington.
Making their first appearance in the season finale since 1989, the Camels took a 5-0 lead in the third inning and pitcher Alex Franzen went the distance to pick up his 11th win of the season.
Campbell County (27-10) will play Hazard (30-11) in a quarterfinal game at 8:30 p.m. Saturday. The winner will return advance to next week’s final four.
After Ohio County scored its only run in the fourth inning on a throwing error, Franzen struck out six of the 13 batters he faced in the last three innings to secure the Camels’ first state tournament victory since 1986.
Campbell County took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Colton Hartig scored on a two-out single by Dawson Hogan.
In the fifth inning, Joe Eblin stepped to the plate with bases loaded and ripped a double to center field that brought in three runs. Eblin then stole third base and scored on a sacrifice fly by Matt Reynolds to make it 5-0.
It was the eight consecutive win for the Camels. In six post-season playoff games, the team has scored 64 runs and allowed only five.