A matchup between two of the most successful coaches in Fourth Region baseball history resulted in a close loss for the Logan County Cougars last week. Still LCHS won two of three games.
The loss came when Coach Greg Shelton’s new team, Christian County, edged the Cougars 3-1. Shelton, a Lewisburg native who pitched for Western Kentucky University, coached the Russellville Panthers the last two years. Before that had a Hall of Fame career at Franklin-Simpson and Beech in Tennessee.
The Cougars are coached by Ethan Meguiar, a former Cougar and Campbellsville University standout. Meguiar’s teams have been among the top performers in the region almost every season in this centur.
This was the 28th game Meguiar and Shelton have coached against each other, including in the 2000 regional finals. Shelton holds a 17-11 advantage over Meguiar, who is in his 19th season coaching his alma mater. Meguiar has a 4-3 lead in postseason wins over Shelton. Since they are in different regions now, their next postseason meeting would have to be at state.
Hunter Britt pitched well for the Cougars in the loss to Christian County. He went the distance, giving up just two hits, three walks and a single earned run. But the winning runs came as a result of errors. Britt struck out four.
Dixon Craft pitched the win for the Colonels, even though he gave up five hits and two walks. He struck out 10 Cougars.
Matt Harper, Michale Riley, Tucker Baldwin, Caleb Bruner and Daniel Beaty each singled for Logan. Jackson Campbell and Baldwin each sacrificed and got the only two walks, and Luke Woodall reached twice on errors. Bruner singled in Riley with Logan’s only run.
Craft and Bryan Chilton managed the lone hits for Christian County. Craft got two of the RBIs and Chilton the other.
The game left the Colonels with a 6-1 record while Logan fell to 5-2.
Cougars 6, Metcalfe County 2
Baldwin and Riley each had two hits, drove in a run, stole a base and scored a run. Baldwin’s RBI came on a groundout that scored Jose Arotegui. Woodall, Campbell, Bruner, Beaty and Britt also had singles. Woodall, Harper and Riley joined Baldwin with RBIs. Harper hit a sacrifice fly while Bradley Taylor, Woodall, Riley and Baldwin stole bases. Riley, Harper, Bruner, Beaty, Baldwin and Arostegui scored the runs.
Hunter Crafton was the starting and winning pitcher. He gave up two runs (only one earned) on three hits, two walks and four strikeouts. Harper pitched two innings of no-hit, no-run, no-walk ball while fanning two Hornets for the save.
Spencer Noe was the starting and losing pitcher for Metcalfe. Ty McMurtrey pitched the final inning. Jalen Clemmons had two hits and Tucker Scroggy one in the loss.
Cougars 10, AC-S 3
The Cougar bats came alive on the road, as Meguiar’s team pounded out 15 runs and 8 RBIs.
Bruner led the way with two home runs, one a solo shot and the other a two-run homer. Harper and Riley both doubled among their three hits each. Harper drove in three runs. Austin Rayno singled in Baldwin. Also recording RBIs were Campbell and Baldwin.
Riley joined Harper with three hits and Bruner and Woodall with two runs scored. Baldwin had two hits. Also getting hits were Campbell, Bruitt, Beaty, Woodall and Rayno. Patriot pitching was throwing the ball over the plate. Campbell worked the lone walk. Britt was hit by a pitch, and Harper and Riley each stole a base.
Jordan Hendrix was the winning pitcher. He went six innings, all two earned runs and one unearned on eight hits and two walks. Nick Wooden retired the side in order in the seventh.
Jarrett Cockrill, Bradley Hayes and Taylor Roark all pitched for Coach Scott Stamper’s Patriots, all with little success. Ryan Taylor, Cockrill and Hayes each had two hits.