Lawrence County 6, Lexington Catholic 0

• Lawrence County has earned a spot in the state finals, the first time a 15th Region team has been there since Paintsville won the state title in 1990. The Bulldogs will face top-ranked Pleasure Ridge Park in Saturday’s 8 o’clock championship game.
• Lewis Michael pitched great for Lawrence County. He had six strikeouts, including three in a row in the seventh. He blanked LexCath on three hits, giving the Bulldogs back-to-back shutouts in the tournament. Chandler Shepherd blanked Greenup County 4-0 in the opener
• Pictured above: Michael (No. 10) gets a hug from Lawrence County Coach Randy Keeton, center, in photo by Mark Cornelison)
• Brad Laney had a double and triple and scored twice for Lawrence County against LexCath. Ramsey Compton had a pair of RBI singles. Jeff Cyrus had a triple and single, drove in a run and scored one. Jordan Miller contributed a two-run single.
• LexCath, state champs in 1999 and 2006, ended the season 25-12. Michael Champa, who pitched four innings in the opener against Harrison County, was the losing pitcher against Lawrence County.
• LAWRENCE COUNTY 6, LEXCATH 0: The Bulldogs are in great shape going into the bottom of the seventh. They added three insurance runs in the sixth thanks to triples by Brad Laney and Jeff Cyrus, a single by Ramsey Compton, and a wild pitch by LexCath reliever Patrick Maronde.
• LexCath gets a couple hits in the top of the sixth, but can’t score. Lawrence County comes to bat in the bottom of the inning leading 3-0.
• Lawrence County leads 3-0 going into the top of the sixth, and the Bulldogs are just six outs away from making the finals for the first time. LexCath has one hit off Bulldogs’ starter Lewis Michael.
• LexCath’s offense is missing in action. The Knights are still hitless after the top of the fourth. Lawrence County 6-foot-6, 240-pound senior righthander Lewis Michael isn’t overpowering — he has three strikeouts — but LexCath can’t make good contact.
• LAWRENCE COUNTY 3, LEXCATH 0: The Bulldogs chased LexCath starter Michael Champa with a three-run second inning. Brad Laney led off with a double and came home on Ramsey Compton’s single. Lawrence County then loaded the bases on infield hits by Shane Pack and Jeff Cyrus. LexCath brought in Devon Williams in relief. He got the next two batters, but Jordan Miller ripped a two-run single to left to make it 3-0, and end a 37-inning scoreless streak by LexCath pitchers. The Knights don’t have a hit off Lawrence County’s Lewis Michael in the first three innings.
• With two outs in the bottom of the first, LexCath pitcher Michael Champa walked three batters before getting out of trouble by striking out Lewis Michael. No score going to the second inning.