Caleb Bruner and Joe Holliday combined on a no-hitter to start the season for defending regional baseball champion Logan County as Coach Ethan Meguiar’s team shut out Warren East 4-0 on the road Thursday.
The Cougars’ second game of the season was much different except for one important constant. Logan County won this one, too, breaking open a tie to win 13-7 at Ohio County Saturday.
Bruner, who has already committed to play collegiately for Morehead State as a junior, threw the first six innings of the season. He struck out 11 among the 18 outs. In fact, 75 percent of his 79 pitches were strikes, and he walked no one.
Holliday worked the final inning, not allowing a hit but walking two Raiders.
The Cougars picked up five hits. Michael Riley singled twice, Matt Harper doubled, and Daniel Beaty and Holliday each had a hit. Bruner, Jackson Campbell, Hunter Britt and Harper scored the runs. Britt reached twice on errors and Bruner also reached on a Raider miscue. Campbell, Harper and Holliday all walked. Jacob Wood and Harper were credited with RBIs.
Starting pitcher J.D. Jenkins, a senior, took the loss for Coach Wes Sandford’s Raiders. Logan Selvidge relieved him on the mound. Jenkins and Davion Downey drew the two walks. Andrew Yoakem, Alex Wright and Joseph Brabham reached on Cougar errors.
AT OHIO County, the Cougars trailed 6-2 going into the sixth inning, but scored seven runs in the sixth to take the game over. Holliday singled in Luke Woodall with the go-ahead run. Beaty had a sacrifice fly in the deluge of runs. Meguiar’s team scored four insurance runs in the seventh inning.
Harper had three hits, including a triple and a double, driving in three runs in the process. Beaty and Holliday each had a pair each of runs and RBIs. Bruner singled and walked, scoring both times. Ian Woodall and Wood each singled, walked and had an RBI.
Holliday scored three runs, Wood and Bruner scored two each, and Riley, Harper, Luke Woodall, Beaty, Joe Olliges and Jose Arostegui each scored a run. Bruner, Holliday, Ian Woodall, Riley and Wood got the walks. Both Woodalls, Riley and Wood each stole a base.
Britt started on the mound and worked the first four innings, giving up six runs (only half of them earned) on six hits and one walk. Harper pitched the final three innings, giving up a run on four hits and two walks. He got the win.
The Eagles got doubles from Zach Johnson, Matt Wilkerson, Lawson Clayton and Blaine Gillim. Johnson had three hits and Clayton two. Johnson, Jake Griffin and Chris Logsdon pitched for Ohio County.
Tucker Baldwin and Trent Deberry also played in these games for Logan.
The Cougars will play their home opener Tuesday against Greenwood with the varsity game coming before JV action.