By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
They allowed a run for the first time in six games, but the Campbell County Camels continued their playoff parade with a 6-1 win over LaRue County in the opening round of the state baseball tournament on Friday morning at Legends Field in Lexington.
Tyler Schumacher went six innings without giving up a run, but LaRue County scored with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to snap a string of 37 scoreless innings by Campbell County pitchers.
Schumacher ended the game with his ninth strikeout to post the Camels’ first state tournament victory since 2022 and push his record to 9-1 on the mound this season. He remains among the state leaders in both strikeouts (116) and ERA (1.02).
Campbell County (26-13) will play Owensboro Apollo (22-12) in a quarterfinal game at 5 p.m. Saturday at Legends Field. The winner will advance to the state semifinals on Friday, June 12 at Kentucky Proud Park on the University of Kentucky campus.
The Camels took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of Friday’s game on a run-scoring double by Schumacher. In the third, Finley Schultz scored on a fielder’s choice and catcher Camden Tiemeyer delivered a double with two outs that plated two more runs.
Tiemeyer’s two-run homer run over the left field fence in the fifth inning made it 6-0. He leads the state with 60 RBI going into Saturday’s quarterfinal round. Schumacher is among the state leaders in total hits (59) and runs scored (57).
Owensboro Apollo defeated Whitley County, 5-3, in the first round of the state tournament on Friday. The Eagles have mostly underclassmen in their starting lineup. The team’s biggest hit in Friday’s win was a three-run homer by junior catcher Gunnar Hendricks.
LARUE COUNTY 000 000 1 — 1 6 2
CAMPBELL COUNTY 103 020 x — 6 7 1
WP — Tyler Schumacher (9 Ks). LP — Brady Skaggs (6 Ks).
HITTING LEADERS: LC — Dekker Thomas 2-3. CC — Tyler Schumacher 2-3, 2B; Camden Tiemeier 2-3, HR, 2B; Lucas Anthrop 3B. RECORDS: Campbell County 26-13, LaRue County 30-9.