Sports correspondent

Harrison County High School defied the odds Friday night by capturing the Kentucky High School Baseball Championship in Louisville's Cardinal Stadium. The Breds 9-6 win over the North Hardin Trojans (31-11) gave Harrison County its second state title in five years.

To win the game, the Breds had to overcome a 2-0 first-inning deficit, and halt a fierce four-run Trojan rally in the fifth. Harrison's ace Bubba Hignite (12-0) got the win with the help of reliever Will Renaker, who came on in the fifth and doused North Hardin's comeback flames. Renaker was near perfect in the final two innings, striking out four and facing no extra batters.

"I'll be honest, I just didn't have it tonight," admitted Hignite, who pitched a 7-0 shutout over Lafayette on Monday. "All season long, I've had six or seven days' rest between games, but I came into this one with just three days' rest after the Lafayette game. I just tried my best and threw with my heart. But I never really got worried, even when they got their rally going. I knew that Will would be there to pull it out. We've been playing together for a long time and we've always been there for each other in the big games. I knew he'd be there for me."

The Breds' (40-1) biggest enemy all season has been their reputation. The team spent the entire season ranked No. 1 in the state, and have been ranked as high as No. 5 nationally. The rankings put the Breds in the unenviable position of being the team to beat from start to finish. The Breds survived without losing a single game to a Kentucky team. Their sole loss was to Miami Central over spring break while competing in the Hanrahan Baseball Classic in South Carolina.

"It's just so hard to win when everybody is gunning for you," said an emotional coach Mac Whitaker after the game. "It's unbelievable that these kids were able to keep winning week after week. This title means so much more to me because of the way they won it. It's unbelievable."

For Breds' seniors, the win provided more than hardware for the trophy case; it meant redemption. Last season's stinging loss to Pleasure Ridge Park in the final four is still a bitter memory for the Breds' four seniors. After leading 5-2 in the seventh inning, the Breds allowed PRP to come back and win in 12 innings. Surely winning the title this season will help ease the pain of that defeat.

"It feels great to be the best team in the state," said senior Paul Roberts between hugs from fans and teammates. "We wanted to redeem ourselves and go out as winners. In the fifth inning, when they started to get back in the game, I couldn't help but think 'oh no, it's last year all over again.' But we dug in and kept them from catching up this time. That makes this win even more special. Everybody on this whole team likes each other. That's the main reason we were able to pull together and be so successful this year."

After crushing Clay County 13-0 in the opening round of the tournament on Thursday, the Breds appeared unstoppable. At the start Friday's game against the Trojans, however, the Breds looked flat. Normally reliable, Hignite struggled in the first inning, allowing lead-off hitter Leroy Dunn to single then gave up a triple to Terrance Johnson to score a run. Johnson reached home on a past ball to make it 2-0. Trojans' senior pitcher Charlie Reed (8-5) had trouble of his own in the first when Roberts led off for the Breds with a three-base blast to left center. Roberts scored when junior Kylie Vaughn hit into a fielder’s choice making it 2-1.

Hignite settled down in the second, retiring all three batters. The Breds, with hitters averaging over .400 this season, brought their full hitting force to bear on the Trojans in the bottom of the second. Senior Terry Smith led off with blazing triple, then scored on senior Chad Hill's single up the middle. Roberts walked, then freshman J.B. Schmidt gave the Breds a 3-2 lead sending Hill home with a single. Vaughn collected another RBI with a shot up the middle. Then Renaker made it 5-2 with a sacrifice fly.

"We just got into a groove and started hitting him (Reed)," said Vaughn who was named the tourney most valuable player for his bat work. "We've been able to hit everybody we've faced this season, so we knew it was just a matter of time before we hit him."

The Breds piled on the pressure in the bottom of the fourth when they stretched the lead to 9-2. But North Hardin wasn't finished yet. The Trojans worked on Hignite, collecting two runs before the senior was pulled in favor of Renaker who allowed two more runs before retiring the side to make it 9-6.

"Pulling Bubba was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do as a coach," Whitaker said. "It was a very emotional moment for me because I wanted him to go the distance. He was just worn out. He pitched the whole game on heart. He knew it was time to come out and I know this win means as much to him as if he had pitched the whole game." After that, it was all Renaker as the hard-throwing left hander retired the next six batters to get the save.