With back-to-back wins over a good Todd Central team on consecutive days this week, the Logan County Cougars have run their season record to 16-9 and an RPI rating that is fourth in the Fourth Region and first in the 13th District.
A walk-off home run by Harper Butler sent the Cougars to a dramatic victory over visiting Central 7-5 Tuesday. The game was tied at five in the bottom of the tenth when Butler homered on an 0-2 Tanner Farmer pitch, scoring two runs. It was Butler’s second hit of the game.
Logan earned the victory despite allowing the Rebels to score four runs in the seventh inning. Todd's big inning was highlighted by a two-run homer by Preston Rager and a double by Devin Schutt.
Chance Sweeney had pitched well over the first six innings and was just one out away from a complete-game victory when Coach Greg Shelton’s visitors rose to the occasion. Sweeney had struck out five Todd batters.
Davin Yates came on to pitch the final three and a third innings to pick up the win, his fourth without a loss this season. He allowed another run on just three hits and shut out the Rebels the final three frames. He struck out six.
Farmer had pitched shutout ball four and a third innings of relief before surrendering the Butler blast.
Logan County began the scoring in the first inning. Connor Binkley homered on a 1-1 count, driving in two runs.
In addition to Butler’s two hits and Binkley’s homer, Dayman McLean doubled and Brady Hinton, Wyatt Blake, Kade Wall and Sweeney singled. Binkley walked four times and stole two bases. Butler and Yates each walked twice. Hinton also stole a base.
Todd County Central scattered eight hits in the game. Farmer, Will Kearns, and Schutt each racked up multiple hits.
Cougars 7, Todd Central 3
The following day, Logan scored seven again against the Rebels, but this time they gave up only three runs and finished the game in the prescribed seven innings.
Keaton Slaughter was the starting and winning pitcher. He gave up the three runs on five hits and four walks in six innings. Logan Gidcumb pitched a scoreless seventh inning in relief. He walked two and struck out two.
Blake homered, doubled, singled, stole a base, drove in two runs and scored two to lead the offense. No other Cougar recorded multiple hits or runs. Sweeney doubled and drove in two runs.
Getting singles were Wall, Yates, Binkley and Caleb McCoy. Wall, McCoy, McLean, Samuel Hayes, and Jack Delaney joined Blake in scoring.
The Season
Five batters are hitting above .300 for the season. They are Binkley at .356, Yates .354, Sweeney .344, Butler .317, and Blake .313. Sweeney has 32 hits, Yates 28, Binkley 26, Blake 25 and Butler 20. Yates has scored 32 runs, Blake 27, Sweeney and Binkley 20 each, Wall 18 and Butler 17. Binkley has 30 RBIs, Yates 24, Butler 21, Blake 18 and Sweeney 15. Binkley has 7 home runs, Yates, 5, Butler 4, Blake 3, and Hinton, McCoy and Tripp Wadlington 1 each.
Binkley has walked 21 times, Yates 19, Butler 18, Blake 16 and Wall 10. Yates has 15 stolen bases, Blake 13, Sweeney 9, Wall 5 and Butler and Binkley 4 each.
Among pitchers, Slaughter is 5-1, Yates 4-0 and Gidcumb and Isaac Stanley each 2-1. Sweeney has started on the mound six times and Binkley and Stanley 5 games each, Slaughter 4, Gidcumb 3 and McCoy and Brayden Engler 1 each. Slaughter has pitched in 10 games, Gidcumb and Sweeney 9 each, Yates 8 and Stanley 7.
Sweeney is the strikeouts leader with 31 while Gidcumb has fanned 30, Slaughter 29, Stanley 22, Yates 20 and Binkley 18.
Stanley has a 2.39 earned run average, Sweeney 2.95, Yates and Hinton 3.50 each, Jacob Regan 3.82, Slaughter 4.44 and Binkley 4.45.
The District
Going into the final week of district play, Franklin-Simpson has a 4-1 record, Logan and Todd 3-2 each and Russellville 0-5. Tuesday, F-S and Todd are to play each other while Logan and RHS are set for another Clash of the Cats.
If Franklin beats Todd, Coach Matthew Willhite’s Wildcats will end the season with the top seed in the district. If Shelton can coach the Rebels to another win over his former team, both will be 4-2 in the district.
If the Cougars win over Coach Kenneth Edmonds’ Panthers, who are in the midst of another rebuilding year, they will also be 4-2.
All of the top three teams would have the same record. Logan would have two wins over Todd, Franklin two wins over Logan, and Todd a pair of victories over F-S. That would lead to a monumental tiebreaker with the two who don’t get the number one seed having to play each other for a regional berth in their postseason opener.