Today's Sports

Most of us think of bird nests being located from the ground all the way up to some of the higher branches in trees. However, there are two species of local birds that actually nest underground.

The belted kingfisher, a 13-inch long, gray and white bird with a 20-inch wingspan, always excavates a 6-foot long burrow that ends in an enlarged chamber, preferably near water. The excavation is in an 8-inch to 10-inch high bank. Both male and female do the actual digging. A new burrow is dug almost every year although, occasionally, last year's burrow will suffice.

American Legion Post 37 lost the first two games in the Big Blue Invitational tournament over the weekend but came back to take the second two.

"There was all good competition in the tournament," coach Jim Wiley said. "We could have won all four or lost all four, but we should have won one more game."

Post 37 lost to Next Level Baseball out of Louisville in the first game, 8-7. Wiley said the team "made some mistakes and they beat us in the last inning."

The team also lost to Ashland, 8-5, in the second game.

The 12-year-old Eastern Kentucky Cal Ripken State Tournament kicks off tonight in Shelbyville.

The double-elimination tournament starts at 5 at Clear Creek Park with the first game between Johnson County and Fern Creek. Nine teams from the eastern region of the state will play here.

The Shelby County 12-year-olds play in the second game tonight - at 7 p.m. They face Jessamine County. The winner of that game will play Saturday, July 19 at 1 p.m. The loser of the Jessamine-Shelby game plays Friday, July 18 at 5 p.m.

Before the district started, 10-year-old All-star head coach Dwayne Dillow said he wanted to avoid the slow start the team got off to last year as 9-year-olds.

When the team took the field Wednesday night at Spencer County, the slow start was a thing of the past. Shelby County put up three runs in the first and three more in the third to take a commanding lead and beat Scott County 7-2 in the first round of the double elimination tournament.