Behind the solid pitching of Caleb Bruner and timely offense spread throughout the batting order, the visiting Logan County Cougars beat Russellville 12-2 in six innings at Kelly Russell Field Thursday.
Bruner, a sophomore, retired the first eight Panthers he faced and gave up the two runs on just four hits and one walk.
Every Cougar reached base, seven of them got hits, eight scored runs, seven had at least one RBI and five different players were hit by pitches in Logan’s sixth straight win over the Panthers.
Coach Ethan Meguiar’s team scored six runs in the first two innings, added five in the fifth and got the clinching run in the top of the sixth.
Bad luck hit Coach Greg Shelton’s Panthers in the first inning when starting pitcher Corey Wright, a junior who has been a key member of the pitching staff since he was an eighth grader, felt something pop in his elbow five batters into the contest. He had to leave the game, which forced the move of shortstop Barrett Croslin, who became a regular in the infield as an eighth grader, to the mound. Croslin pitched four and a third innings. Zach Denney, also a highly experienced junior, pitched the final inning as he recovers from a sore arm himself.
The Cougars’ two first-inning runs came after Wright had gotten the first two batters to ground out. Matt Harper and Bruner were both hit by pitches. Wright had a 1-0 count on Ian Woodall when the pain began. Croslin came on two face his old Little League World Series battery mate, and Woodall doubled in the two runs.
In the second, Blake Gettings walked, Gage Hales singled, and Dustin Cartas and Harper both walked, Harper’s for an RBI. Bruner then doubled in courtesy runner Luke Woodall and Harper. It was suddenly 6-0.
Croslin retired the Cougars in order in the third. In the fourth they loaded the bases when Gettings was hit by a pitch, Hales reached on a fielder’s choice, Cartas was hit by a pitch, and Harper walked, but Croslin struck out his counterpart on the mound, Bruner, to delay that threat.
Ten Cougars came to the plate in the fifth. Woodall was hit by a pitch, Cody Hunt singled, and Ryan Basham reached on a fielder’s choice that didn’t produce a run. Gettings reached for the third straight time on an RBI walk. Hales also worked Croslin for an RBI walk, and Joe Holliday singled in a run. Cartas forced Gettings at the plate, but Harper reached for the fourth straight plate appearance for an RBI. Bruner reached on an error, scoring Holliday for the fifth run of the inning.
Hunt led off the sixth inning with a double and scored what proved to be the clinching run after Basham singled, Holliday walked, and Cartas drew a walk for the final RBI.
Cartas earned a berth on base four times and reached in his other at bat on a fielder’s choice. Harper reached four times and Gettings three. Hales, Holliday, Bruner, Woodall, Hunt and Basham each reached twice.
The Panthers’ two runs scored in the third. With two outs, Crewsdon Kemp singled. Croslin followed with another single, and they moved up on a wild pitch. Zach Lee hit a fielder’s choice toward second, but Croslin avoided the tag. Jacob Proctor followed with an RBI single.
Travis Kennedy worked Bruner for the Panthers’ only walk with two outs in the fourth.
The Panthers threatened to score in the seventh when Proctor walked and Wesley Stratton singled, but the Cougars threw out Proctor at third, and then Bruner got Denney and Tyler Hall out to end the game.
Dalton Clark and George Collins also played for the Panthers, whose record fell to 5-5.
This was the start of a busy week for the Panthers. Shelton’s team is scheduled to play Grayson County at the Hot Rods’ Bowling Green Ballpark Friday at 6 p.m. Then they leave Saturday to play in the Florida Beach Bash.
The Cougars (5-2) will entertain Christian County at 5:30 p.m. Friday before going to Metcalfe County Saturday, Caldwell County Monday, Rossville in Tennessee Tuesday, and Henderson County Friday and Saturday in the Northern Spring Break Tournament.
Six members of the Logan County Little League World Series team started this game. They were Bruner, Holliday, Woodall and Harper for the Cougars along with Croslin and Denney for the Panthers. Jacob Wood, Tucker Baldwin and Daniel Beatty are on the LCHS varsity. The tenth member of that 2009 team, Desmond Quarles, who is a football standout, was in the stands cheering on his fellow Panthers.