Baseball: Harrison Co., Ky., 7, Navarre 2

Sophomore pitcher Jordan Martin allowed just three hits and junior outfielder Paul Jones blasted a three-run home run to lead the Harrison County, Ky., Thorobreds to a 7-2 baseball win at Navarre on Wednesday.

Harrison County, from Cynthiana, Ky., won its first game of the season after losses to Gulf Breeze and Milton. Navarre's record fell to 6-7 overall.

Two Raiders' errors on the same second-inning play gave the 'Breds a 2-1 lead. With two outs and runners at first and second bases, Jones grounded to Navarre second baseman Jason Frederick, who misplayed the ball. Center fielder Devante Taylor fielded the ball but overthrew third base and both runners scored and Jones ended up at second base.

Navarre tied the game in the bottom of the third when Drew Berteau reached on an error, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Gavin Wehby and to third on a balk called against Martin. Berteau scored on a controversial play at the plate that knocked Harrison County's starting catcher, Hunter Hill, out of the game. Dusty Jones hit a deep fly to center field for the second out and Berteau tagged but hesitated before heading home. The throw from 'Breds' center fielder Cody Honeycutt reached Hill slightly up the third-base line before the runner. Hill reached back with his left arm to try to tag the runner out, but Berteau ran through Hill's outstretched arm, inadvertently elbowing Hill in the head in the collision. Hill held the ball, but Berteau was ruled safe because the catcher did not tag the runner with the glove holding the ball.

Hill left the game but an assistant coach later said the junior catcher wasn't seriously injured.

The score wasn't tied long. Martin led off the fourth inning with a single and moved to second on Mason Fowler's single. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third bases before John King singled home Martin. With no outs and runners at first and third, Jones smacked Navarre starter Brandon Passalacqua's first pitch well over the right center-field fence to give the 'Breds a 6-2 lead.

Wehby walked and scored Navarre's first run in the bottom of the first inning. He reached third when Martin fielded Jones' sacrifice bunt, tagged him, then inexplicably threw the ball over the first baseman's head. Jason Frederick's one-out infield single scored Wehby from third.

Harrison County added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning. Raiders' pitcher Devin Colonel relieved Derek LaMar with one out and the bases loaded and got Mason Fowler to bounce a chopper to Frederick, who threw to Jones for the force out at home. But Shane Fowler, who took third on the play, scored on a wild pitch before Colonel struck out King to end the inning.

Martin retired the last 10 batters he faced. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound sophomore struck out four Raiders and walked just one.

Mason Fowler singled, doubled and scored twice and King was 2-for-4 with two runs and a run-batted-in. Jones finished 1-for-3 with the long homer and four RBIs.

Chris Wheeler had two of Navarre's three hits.

Passalacqua pitched three innings and allowed four earned runs on five hits and one base-on-balls. Lamar pitched three and two-thirds innings and allowed a single earned run on five hits, no walks and a hit batter.

Harrison County coach Mac Whitaker won his 914th game as head coach, all with the Thorobreds. In his 34th season, Whitaker has lost just 262 games and won four state championships, most recently in 2010.

The Raiders resume District 1-5A action at 7 p.m. tonight against Tate and play Pine Forest at 6 p.m. Friday; both games are at NHS.

Navarre has a 2-4 district record.