The Logan County Cougars led in six of the nine innings at Franklin-Simpson Tuesday, but the Wildcats kept coming back and then got a pinch hit, two-run, walk-off double from pitcher Caanan Scott to edge the visitors 8-7. It was Scott’s only plate appearance of the game.
With the win, Coach Craig Delk’s Cats clinched the top seed in the upcoming 13th District Tournament. F-S needed extra innings to beat both Russellville and Logan at home, but they got the wins. As a result, they get to play Todd Central, which has won only two games overall all year, while the two teams from the Land of Logan must go against each other in the opposite semifinal. That means Delk should have the luxury of holding out some of his best pitchers for the finals, unless the Rebels make a major turnaround before the tournament.
Delk made it clear winning this game was a priority. He used his top three pitchers on the mound, including Scott, his ace. Another effective pitcher, Dylan Jones, worked into the seventh inning while lefthander Jeff England got the Cats out of a big jam in regulation and then worked the eighth inning.
Logan coach Ethan Meguiar also sent his ace to the mound in sophomore Caleb Bruner, who was named Prep Baseball Report’s Kentucky Player of the Week last week. He worked six innings before Lucas Dean pitched the seventh. Matt Harper worked the extra innings and took the loss.
The Cougars scored first; in fact, the leadoff batter of the game, Gage Hales, scored the game’s only run in the opening three and a half innings. Hales reached on an error, stole second, and scored on Dustin Cartas’ fielder’s choice.
The Wildcats scored four runs in the fourth inning to take the lead and added another run in the fifth to go up 5-1.
Instead of going away quietly, the Cougars mounted a comeback, scoring four runs in the seventh to send the game into extra innings. Thomas Miller, who is recovering from an early season shoulder injury, reached on an error. Joe Holliday walked, Hales singled, Bruner reached on a fielder’s choice, Harper plated a run on a sacrifice fly, and Ian Woodall and Cody Hunt both singled. Harper shut down the Cats in the bottom of the inning to bring on extra baseball.
The Cougars took the lead in the top of the eighth with Hales walking, Bruner singling and Cartas walking, but Justin Mayes reached on a two-base error and scored on Colton Hunt’s single. Timmy Wimpee walked in the inning.
Meguiar’s team went ahead again in the top of the ninth. Hunt was hit by a pitch, Ryan Basham singled, Miller reached on a fielder’s choice and Hunt scored on an error.
Cam Richardson, who had come into the game as a pinch hitter for designated hitter Payne Williams in the fifth inning, led off the F-S ninth with a double. Tyler Knight hit a ground ball, and the Cougars’ attempt to get the lead runner at third failed. Two were on with no outs. Harper struck out Tyler Cline, who already had three hits, but then Scott doubled the runners in to end the game.
Bruner and Hunt each had two hits for the Cougars with Hales, Harper, Woodall, Basham and Holliday each singling. Bruner had a pair of RBIs. Hales scored three runs. Richardson had two hits and two RBIs for the Wildcats.
The Cougars fell to 19-8 on the season. Franklin improved to 18-10.
BGH 6, LCHS 2
Then on Wednesday, the Cougars lost again, this time 6-2 at Bowling Green. Blake Gettings suffered his first loss of the season, giving up four runs after pitching into the fifth inning. Dean worked an inning in relief, and Basham got the last two Purples out. Gettings’ record fell to 3-1.
The Cougars managed only four singles against BGH pitchers Daulton Potter, Joseph McIntyre, and Ben Morrison—one each by Hales, Hunt, Cartas and Holliday. Cartas and Daniel Beaty picked up the only walks. Harper reached twice on errors and Basham once. Hales stole a base. Basham and Holliday scored the runs.
Clay Stivers homered, tripled and doubled to lead the attack for Coach Dan Mosier’s Purples. McIntyre and Ethan Wilson each had two hits.