After losing the first game in a best two of three format, the Logan County Babe Ruth 13-year-old stars came back to win the next two games and advance in postseason action. They now are headed to state.
In the first game for the 13s, Franklin beat Logan 7-6. For Logan, Kaleb Justice doubled and drove in three runs. Jordan Blick and Parker Baxter each had two hits. D.J. Beard singled and had two RBIs. Ethan Smock added an RBI. Ashton Ross and Justice each scored two runs with T.K. Hampton and Blick adding a run each.
Ethan Smock pitched four innings, allowing six runs on just one hit and five walks. He struck out five. Devon Roche pitched the final three innings, allowing a run on a hit and a walk.
Logan beat Franklin 7-5 in the second game despite just getting two hits—singles by Justice and Austin Rayno. They both had an RBI, as did Blick and Rayno. Jackson Steward and Rayno each scored a pair of runs with Blick, Justice and Rayno each adding a run.
Ashton Ross pitched two innings, giving up three runs on three hits and two walks with one strikeout. Rayno pitched five innings, giving up two runs on a hit and a walk with four strikeouts.
In the rubber game, Logan won with ease, blasting Franklin-Simpson 14-1. Hampton had three hits, two of them doubles. Rayno and Ross got two hits each while Beard, Blick, Baxter and Jackson Steward each singled. Hampton drove in five runs with Steward, Blick and Beard adding two each, and Baxter and Rayno one each.
Beard worked four innings and gave up the runs on four hits and two walks. Roche pitched two innings and put up all goose eggs, no runs, hits or walks.
The team will now go to state, but the date and opponent have not yet been announced. Coach Travis Steward says he expects to learn details this weekend.
In the accompanying picture, the players are, from left, front row Beard, Baxter, Roche, Steward, Rayno and Mason Parker; back row, Coach Travis Steward, Blick, Hampton, Ross, Smock, Dillon Porter, Justice, Coach Matt Roche and Coach Shea Ross.