Undaunted by an 0-2 start in which they gave up 21 runs, the Logan County Little League All-Stars roared back to win four straight games in the Great
Lakes Regional Tournament last week in Indianapolis.
Behind the pitching of Barrett Croslin and Matt Harper, stellar defense and home runs by four different players, Logan crushed the Indiana state
champions 10-4 Saturday night while most of Logan County joined a national television audience in watching the game on ESPN.
(Among those watching were several former Logan Countians. See their comments below.)
As a result, the 12-year-olds will head out to Williamsport, Pa. early this week in search of an even bigger prize. Manager Kevin Gettings’ team will
play the West Region representative Saturday at 7 p.m.
Central time in an opening round game of the Little League World Series, one of the most famous annual sporting events in the world. Owensboro
newspaper sports editor Jim Pickens says, “I was fortunate enough to cover the Little League World
Series in 2004 and '05, and that's probably the highlight of my 30-year career. I've covered NCAA Tournaments, several Kentucky Derbys, high school
state championship games, etc., but the LLWS takes the cake!"
To win the region, Logan had to survive a tiebreaker to secure the number four seed in the regional semifinals. Michigan and Wisconsin, the state
champions they had beaten in pool play, were the teams eliminated in the six-state region. Next came a 10-4 win over top-seeded Chicago Jackie Robinson
at Stokley Field on Thursday.
Zach Denney pitched the complete-game win, facing only 30 batters in the six innings. He also homered and doubled. Joe Holliday hit a pair of home
runs and had three RBIs among his three hits. Daniel Beaty joined Denney in hitting both a homer and a double while Harper and Ian Woodall added
doubles.
Eight of Logan’s 11 hits were for extra bases. The winners committed only one error after struggling on defense in the two losses.
Then came the championship game. The Kentucky state champs had to face an Indiana squad which had edged them 9-7 on Saturday. Indiana had knocked off
in the semifinals the other team which had beaten Logan, Ohio.
This time Logan jumped ahead in a hurry. In the first inning after Caleb Bruner was hit by a pitch and Woodall walked, Holliday blasted a three-run
homer. Logan never trailed in the game.
A couple of defensive jewels in the bottom of the inning added to Logan’s confidence. Rightfielder Beaty made a sliding catch in foul territory of
leadoff batter Devin Mann’s fly ball. Three batters later, leftfielder Tucker Baldwin convinced an umpire he had caught Josh Speidel’s sinking fly
ball. He threw a strike to first baseman Bruner to double off a runner and end the threat with Logan still leading 3-0.
The lead improved to 4-0 when Denney led off the third inning with a home run. Indiana’s Speidel duplicated the feat with a leadoff solo shot in the
bottom of the fourth, making it 4-1.
In the Logan fifth, Harper led off with a single and scored on Woodall’s two-run blast. Gettings’ team added another run in the inning when Harper
doubled, advanced on Denney’s groundout to the right side, and scored on a wild pitch.
Aggressive base-running earlier had cost Logan. Harper and Woodall were both thrown out at the plate in the third inning as third base coach Ronnie
Croslin tested the Indiana defense. The Hoosiers withstood both tests, but the plays at the plate didn’t affect the outcome of the game.
The final three insurance runs scored in the top of the sixth when Baldwin and Croslin led off with singles and Harper crushed a three-run homer.
When Speidel led off the bottom of the final inning with his second homer of the game, Gettings had Croslin and Harper trade positions at shortstop and
pitcher. Croslin had pitched five strong innings.
Sam Claycamp singled up the middle on a 1-2 pitch to greet Harper, but the relief pitcher got Connor Robbins to ground into a Croslin-to-Bruner double
play. Then Harper induced a groundout to Bruner at first to end the game and seal the World Series berth.
Reserve right fielder Desmon Quarles had used his height to catch a hard-hit line drive in the late innings, and second baseman Jacob Wood was solid in
the middle of the infield.
At Westsport, besides the West Coach champ, Logan County will be in the pool with Peabody, Mass., and San Antonio, Texas.
The link for the Little League World Series is<http://www.littleleague.org/series/2009divisions/llbb/series.htm>
Many people have commented to The LoJo about Logan’s impressive win. Some of them follow:
Joseph Jefferson (LCHS alumnus, four-year NFL player) “The "Clash of the Cats" is very small compared to "National attention". Due to this trip to the
World Series, someone will get drafted!! I know, been there and still there.”
Jim Herderhorst (original Cougar basketball player): "Well, my wife and I didn't get to watch the game live, we don't get ESPN USA in China, only ESPN
Asia :( but we are still cheering for the team from DaLian, China!!!!!!! I think we win for the farthest support! Is there a trophy for the farthest
support?!? Go LC! We will keep up with the team on the Internet and Facebook.”
Don Menser (RHS graduate): "Cheering from Maryland and will be driving up to see them play in PA! Terrific win!!"
Cathy Carver (RHS graduate): “My husband and I watched from our home in Las Cruces, N.M. - so PROUD of these guys! I screamed until I lost my voice.”
Sandy Brown Peveler (RHS graduate): "We may be way off in Florida, but we still get excited over Russellville/Logan County sports. Way to go!!! We
enjoyed watching the game tonight and will continue to watch and cheer the team on. Congratulations!”
Erica Baugh Palmer (LCHS graduate): "We are cheering from Colorado! Way to put Logan County in the map.”
Bethany Brown Carter (LCHS graduate): “It would be nice to know how many people from different states cheered them on tonight....we in Columbia, S.C.
are behind you all the way.”
Ann-Margaret Davenport (RHS graduate): "I cheered from Phoenix, AZ!"
Dana Lee Ashby (Auburn graduate): "AWESOME, We cheered all the way from Land O Lakes,Fla.!! Way to go, SO PROUD OF THEM!"
Cathy Taylor Williams (Lewisburg graduate, now Florida resident): "Wish we could be there in person, but we will be there in spirit! Go, Logan County!"
Sheila May (former Olmstead teacher, wife of former LCHS football coach Les May): "Us too! Congratulations, Logan County!"
State Senator Alice Lynn Forgy (Lewisburg graduate, now of Lexington): “This is so exciting. Congratulations LOOOOOOOOOOGANNNNNNNNN County!”
Randy Davenport (RHS graduate, Todd County pastor)): “Defense and power hitting. No one does it any better than those young men."
Mike Moseley (RHS graduate): "How 'bout that!!! All of KENTUCKY should be cheering for these guys!"
Sue Wood (cousin of player Jacob Wood): “We had 12 family members here watching and cheering. What a game!"
Tina Lee Campbell (LCHS graduate): "We’re so proud for them ! Congratulations boys! Loved the shot of David Woodall (father of player Ian Woodall)
celebrating!"
Doug Johnson (father of former Cougar athletes): "All of LOGAN COUNTY should be proud of what these young men have done."
Jane Birdwhistell Wells (Lewisburg teacher and parent of current LCHS athlete): "We're all so proud - what a wonderful thing for these boys and their
families - and of LOGAN COUNTY!"
Bob Birdwhistell (retired LCHS principal and athletic director): “If this is not the highlight of all Logan County sports,I don’t know what is!"
Pamela Hunter Holdcraft (retired Auburn teacher of Bowling Green): "What a game!! Awesome job....the LC is celebrating tonight!! Way to represent!”
Mark Mathis (Owensboro sportswriter): “Man, this is a monumental accomplishment for a small county, small town, etc. Because of the way ESPN plays it
now, you'll get more national attention, etc. I'm proud of your guys."