Lawrence County 4, Greenup County 0

• Lawrence County freshman righthander Chandler Shepherd threw a complete-game four-hitter to beat Greenup County. Shepherd, improving his record to 10-1, had 8 strikeouts and walked two as he dealt the Musketeers only their second shutout of the season. Greenup County senior lefty Tyler Hieneman, gave up only four hits in losing for the first time in 10 decisions this spring. He had 7 strikeouts.
• Trailing 4-0, Greenup County is down to its last three outs as we go to the top of the seventh.
• We’re going to the top of the sixth and Lawrence County leads 4-0. Greenup County has only two hits off Chandler Shepherd, and the Musketeers’ defense has made three costly errors.
• Lawrence County 4, Greenup County 0: The Bulldogs continue to add to their lead. Nick Hackney singled with two outs in the fourth, went to second on an error, and scored on another throwing error when he was stealing third.
• Lawrence County 3, Greenup County 0: Tim Hayes and Jordan Miller each drove in a run as the Bulldogs added to their lead in the bottom of the third. Lawrence County pitcher Chandler Shepherd is cruising along. He’s blanked the Musketeers on one hit through four innings and has five strikeouts.
• Lawrence County 1, Greenup County 0: The Bulldogs have taken the lead in the bottom of the second. Dustin Kingsmore singled, and came home on Brad Laney’s two-out triple to center.
• Greenup County had runners at first and third with no outs in the top of the second, but came up empty. Chandler Shepherd struck out the next two batters, and pinch runner Dakota Greenslate was thrown out at the plate when trying to score when the other runner purposely got in a rundown.
• Good crowd on hand, especially considering the early hour. Lots of fans made the trek from eastern Kentucky to catch this opener.
• Greenup County pitcher Tyler Hieneman matches Shepherd with a 1-2-3 first inning, including a pair of strikeouts.
• Strong start for Lawrence County’s Chandler Shepherd. He struck out the first two batters, and got the third on a groundout to third.

State baseball tournament

The Forcht Bank State Tournament opens at Applebee’s Park Thursday morning with 16th Region champ Greenup County vs. 15th Region champ Lawrence County at 10 a.m.

I’ll provide live updates for all seven games of the three-day tournament.

The rest of Thursday’s schedule:

• Apollo vs. Christian Academy of Louisville , 12:30
• Lexington Catholic vs. Harrison County, 6.
• Pleasure Ridge Park vs. Christian County, 8:30.

Harrison County and PRP are three-time state champs, Lexington Catholic has won two titles, and Christian County has one championship trophy.

UK prospect Zollo apparently headed to Clark County

It appears that Vinny Zollo, a 6-foot-8 high school sophomore-to-be who has commited to Kentucky, will be playing basketball in central Kentucky next season.

Clark County Coach Scott Humphrey said Wednesday that “all indications are that (Zollo) is coming here. He’s visited the school, his mom has interviewed for a teaching position, and they’ve been in town for the better part of a week looking at property. There are still a few hoops for them to jump through, but it appears it’s full throttle ahead for them to move to this area.”

Zollo played his freshman year at McClain High School in Greenfield, Ohio. Zollo broke his leg in an AAU game recently, and will be sidelined several weeks. That makes it unlikely that he will play summer ball with Clark County.

Zollo will join a Clark County team already loaded with young talent and expected to be a top contender in the 10th Region. The Cardinals’ returning starters include sophomores-to-be Robbie Stenzel and Corey Rogers, and seniors Ryan Williams and Robert Hatton.

Humphrey realizes Clark County will get a lot more attention next season with a future UK player on its roster. “Anytime you’re fortunate enough to add someone with that kind of profile, you know more eyes are going to be on your team,” he said.

Dunbar names Jason Howell football coach

Paul Dunbar has hired Tates Creek assistant Jason Howell as its new football coach.

Howell didn’t apply for the Dunbar job. He was contacted last week by the school, talked to athletic director Mike Barren during the 11th Region baseball tournament, then interviewed with principal Anthony Orr last Thursday. Howell got the job on Tuesday.

Howell, 35, will be the Bulldogs’ fifth coach since 2000. Mike Meighan started the Dunbar program in 1990 and led it for 11 years. He was followed by Mark Peach (two years), Fred Barnott (two years) and David Hensley (three years).

“I do want to bring stability here,” Howell said. “I believe in continuity and consistency. Those are two keys to building a program. You have to be consistent with discipline, traditions and the way you handle things. And I believe everybody’s got to be on the same page. There has to be continuity.”

Howell played on Pikeville’s powerhouse teams in the late 1980s. He was an offensive lineman for Coach Hillard Howard’s Class A state champs in 1988 and ’89. He returned to Pikeville to be an assistant coach in 1996, and was there until he joined Mark Willoughby’s Tates Creek staff in 2005.

With school out and summer leagues just around the corner, Howell knows he’s got to be a quick study as a new head coach.

“We’ve got to hit the ground running, and it’s got to be done pretty quick,” he said.

Dunbar went 4-8 under Hensley last fall, and 1-9 the year before that.

This week in Kentucky high school sports history

1968

Ashland becomes the first school to win three consecutive state baseball titles as it beats Louisville Southern 1-0 in the finals. Senior pitcher Bob Lynch, who had two wins and a save in the 1967 state tournament and got the victory in the 1966 title game, works four innings of shutout relief against Southern. Sophomore Johnny Mullins’ bases-loaded single in the 10th inning provides Ashland with the winning run . . . In the first round of the state baseball tournament, Mayfield, coached by Jack Morris, beats Russell County, coached by Allen Feldhaus, 4-1. Mayfield sophomore Bob Perkins throws a two-hitter . . . . Newport Catholic beats Owensboro 3-2 in the first round. Steve Mason’s single scores Frank Gohs with the winning run in the eighth inning . . . Pitching dominates the state tournament. Ashland takes the title despite hitting .195 in three games; Southern hits only .108.

1978

Tates Creek wins its first state baseball championship by beating Owensboro 2-1 in the semifinals and Elizabethtown 8-4 in the finals. Junior ace Tony Mack is the winning pitcher in both games. He starts the semifinals and throws a four-hitter and strikes out four. He comes on in relief of Brad Redmon in the finals and has six K’s in four innings. The Commodores’ hitting stars include Kevin Kearns, Landon King and Toto Gilbert. “You always envision a state championship,” Coach Ron Cole says. “It’s a rare bird. Some coach a lifetime and never get into a championship game, or even coach in a state tournament” . . . Presentation senior Bev Ramser wins her fourth consecutive state tennis title, beating archirival Amy Daugherty of Sacred Heart in the finals. Richmond Model’s Chuck Gibson and John Rowlett win the state doubles title. Lynn Bybee of Central takes the boys’ individual championship.

1988

Lafayette beats St. Xavier 5-2 in the state baseball semifinals. Junior lefthander Jed Dorough is the winning pitcher. He has 12 strikeouts and scatters six hits in improving his record to 11-0. St. X senior ace Paul Byrd gives up five hits and strikes out 11 in taking the loss. Lafayette beats Boyd County 12-1 in the finals. Dorough, who went seven innings only 15 hours earlier, starts and goes five innings before leaving with the Generals leading 9-0. Shawn Wiglesworth smacks a grand slam, Kevin Goins has a two-run homer and Todd Baxter has a solo shot to fuel the championship game rout . . . Russell Smoak of Western Hills wins the boys’ state golf title at Lincoln Trail by shooting 74-73–147. Smoak thanks his coach, Joe Rogers, for lending a hand, er head. In the first round, Smoak’s second shot on the 12th hole was headed for trouble, but it struck Rogers in the head and bounces back in the fairway, 20 yards in front of the green. Smoak saved par. Lisa Weissmueller of Henry Clay takes the girls’ golf championship, shooting 78-41–149. She beats Kim Tyrer of Franklin County by one shot.