In a game that was fittingly close and well-played for the two premier programs in Fourth Region Baseball, the Logan County Cougars held on for a 3-2 win over defending regional champion Franklin-Simpson Wednesday in the 13th District championship game played at Franklin.
It was the seventh time these two teams have played each other in the past two years. Logan now has a 4-3 advantage with three regular seasons wins to go along with this championship. Franklin’s wins have been in last year’s district and regional finals and their home game this season.
Wildcat ace Ryland Thomas pitched well most of this game.
Bradley Taylor’s leadoff homer in the third accounted for the only run in the first three innings. Lots of pitchers have been giving up home runs to Bradley Taylor.
Thomas continued his mound stinginess through two outs in the fifth inning. Then Taylor began a new chapter in the game. He singled, as did Braxton Meguiar. Kaleb Justice walked to load the bases. Koby Wall followed with another walk, this one plating Taylor. Austin Rayno singled in Meguiar to make it 3-0 with what proved to be the winning run.
Coach Ethan Meguiar sent his ace to the mound. Ethan Smock pitched five scoreless innings, scattering five hits and three walks. F-S threatened in the first inning when leadoff hitter Thomas and cleanup batter Jordan Jones each walked, but Smock got Quentin Kitchens to pop out to Meguiar at second to end that threat. In the third Jacob Curtis led off with a single and got to third before Smock got Conner Rogers to ground out to Meguiar to end that scoring opportunity.
The fifth found Curtis at third again after he and Jones hit back-to-back singles, but Smock pitched out of it again by getting Kitchens to fly out to Rayno at shortstop.
Coach Meguiar had seen Smock bending but not giving in for five innings and decided to make a change on the mound.
Dylan Penick, who pitched four strong innings against the Cats in last year’s regional finals but has missed most of the season with a football injury, worked the final two innings for the Cougars. He gave up two runs on three hits and two walks.
Dalton Fiveash doubled in the sixth but Penick had no other problems in the inning. In the sixth, Penick hit Thomas with a 1-2 pitch. Clay Spears followed with a single. Smock got Curtis to pop out to Justice at first, and then struck out Jones on all strikes. But he walked Kitchens and Rogers, and suddenly it was 3-2 with two Wildcats on base.
Penick got the job done. On an 0-2 pitch, Fineash lined out to Taylor at third to end the game.
Rayno, Taylor and Penick each had two hits for Logan while Meguiar and Wall added one each. Justice walked twice and Wall once in the win.
Curtis and Fiveash each had a pair of hits for the Wildcats with Spears. Jones, Rogers and Alex Gilbert getting one each.
In the 19 years of the 21st century, Logan County has made it to the district championship game 18 times. Meguiar’s team has won 10 of those championships, including six of the last eight years. Franklin-Simpson has been a finalist 16 of those years, always against Logan. They Wildcats have won seven championships.
Russellville has reached the finals 3 of those 19 years, winning it once over Logan in 2010. Todd Central won the only finals it has reached, beating RHS in 2004.
Pairings for next week’s regional tournament will be determined Saturday. Generally all four first round games are played at WKU on Memorial Day.