Just one out from their 29th win and a berth in the regional semifinals, the Logan County Lady Cougars gave up five runs to Warren East in the top of the seventh inning in their regional opener Monday at WKU. The Lady Raiders won 9-6.
Trailing 5-0, the Lady Cougars took the lead at 6-5 in the fifth inning. Nora Epley and Sydni Blick each drove in runs on doubles, Shayla Johnson singled in two runs, and Hailey Burgess, who had three hits and a walk on the day, drove in the go-ahead run.
That was to be all of the Lady Cougar scoring in the game.
East had taken that 5-0 lead in the third inning, sending 10 batters to the plate. Logan pitching was uncharacteristically wild and the defense uncharacteristically shaky. The first run scored on a walk and two errors. Then Madison Hymer and Lydia Jones got hits. Two bases-loaded walks drove in two more runs before Jaylee Childers singled in the fifth run.
Addison Cartas relieved Johnson on the mound and kept the Lady Raiders from scoring again until the seventh.
Addison Lee singled to start East’s seventh. Cartas got the next two batters out, but then she loaded the bases. What looked like it could be the last out of the game turned into a three-base error, tying the game. A run that scored on an error gave East the lead, and Hymer’s three-run homer provided the margin.
The Lady Cougars got two batters on in the bottom of the seventh before the game and the season ended.
Autumn Brooks allowed one run over the final 2? innings to earn the win. Starter Tristan Lindsey battled through 4? innings, allowing five runs and four hits, walking six. Warren East finished with 12 hits. Hymer and Jordan Brooks led the way with three hits each.
Hailey Burgess had three hits and a walk with a run scored and an RBI. Sydni Blick doubled and singled with an RBI. Madelyn Burgess also had two hits. Nora Epley doubled, scored and recorded an RBI. Shayla Johnson singled in two runs. Trinity Case added an RBI single, and Emerson McKinnis added a hit. Working their way on base with walks were Jailey Burgess, McKinnis, Johnson, Epley, Case, Kinley Holloway and Keirsten Harper. Kallie Taylor, Harper, Holloway, Case and Epley scored.
Johnson gave up five runs (three earned), on two hits and three walks. Cartas took the loss in five innings of relief. Only one of the five runs was earned. She struck out three but gave up nine hits and two walks.
The Lady Cougars finished one of the program’s best seasons ever with a 28-5 record. Coach Gary Gettings’ team went 14-2 in the region with both losses coming at the hands of the Lady Raiders.