They had to wait six days during the monsoon season of 2015 before they could get the bitter taste of three losses in a two-day span out of their craws, but the Logan County Cougars bounced back impressively this weekend with a pair of two 1-0 wins.
First came a shutout of visiting Barren County Friday. Jordan Hendrix and Matt Harper combined to pitch a two-hitter. Hendrix worked the first five innings and got the win. Harper worked the last two innings for the save. Each allowed a hit. Both hits—by Andy Highbaugh and Ty Hay—were singles. Hendrix did issue six walks, two of them by Drew Decker. Hendrix struck out four Trojans among the six outs he recorded..
The Cougars got four hits, singles by Harper, Jackson Campbell, Daniel Beaty and Hunter Britt. Beaty drove in Caleb Bruner with the game’s lone run. Coach Ethan Meguiar’s team worked two walks off Barren pitcher Ellis Winnegar. They were by Luke Woodall and Campbell. Michael Riley sacrificed, Beaty reached on an error, and Austin Rayno and Bruner were hit by pitches. Bruner and Rayno stole a base each.
Then on Saturday, Bruner pitched another of his masterpieces, beating usually powerful Owensboro 1-0 on the road. In eight innings, he allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out 14. Seventy-two of the 96 pitches he threw were strikes. William Hemingway and Dakota Hanley got the lone OHS hits, both singles.
Freshman Rayno singled in Kaleb Justice with the winning run in the extra inning. Justice had drawn his second walk to get on base. This one came off losing pitcher Richard Jacques, the third pitcher Coach Logan Johnson had used. Justice managed the only two walks Red Devil pitching allowed.
Riley, Bruner and Nick Wooden joined Rayno in getting a hit. Woodall and Wooden both sacrificed runners over, and Bradley Taylor reached on an error.
The Cougars, who improved their record to 11-5. Owensboro fell to an uncharacteristic 2-9.
Logan is scheduled to play a district game at Todd Central Tuesday. Assistant Coach Adam Decker says a rained out matchup against visiting Franklin-Simpson has been rescheduled for Monday, April 27.