For the first time in school history, the Logan County Lady Cougars are softball champions of the 13th District. They used strong pitching by
sophomore Jordan Melton and a barrage of hits to beat Todd Central 7-1 at Russellville High School Tuesday. Erica Meguiar had 3 hits-- giving her 7
hits in 8 at-bats during the two-day tournament. Brooke Yokley and seventh grader Aeron Smith each had 2 hits.
As usual, Logan County started slowly. The Lady Cougars gave up a run in the first inning and didn't manage a baserunner themselves until the
third inning.
Evvy Turner was credited with a walk for the Lady Rebels in the first inning. Pitcher Nicloe Akins, Ashley Bishop and RayAnne Moore followed with
singles to bring Turner home.
Melton, however, gave up only one more hit the rest of the game. She issued three more walks, but stayed in control throughout the contest. She
fanned five of Coach Troy Winders' Lady Rebels.
Logan tied the score in the third inning. Emily Croslin walked and advanced on Jordan Schafer's sacrifice bunt. Melton reached on an error, and
Smith's bunt was mishandled. Melton scored in the process.
The other six Lady Cougar runs scored in the fourth inning. Yokley singled and Lindsey Moore doubled. Croslin reached on a fielder's choice
without an out. Schafer and Meguiar singled, and Smith doubled. Meagan Belt stroked the sixth hit of the inning. Yokley, Moore, Croslin, Schafer,
Meguiar and Smith all scored in the inning. Croslin, Meguiar, Smith and Belt each had RBIs.
For the game Akins, who got 2 of Todd's 3 hits, allowed the 7 runs on 10 hits and just one walk. She struck out 3 Lady Cougars.
Croslin, the Logan player who walked, also reached on the RBI fielder's choice and was hit by a pitch.
Third baseman Sheena Bilicki was the only Lady Cougar who didn't reach base, but she had a rough start to the game. She moved to within a few feet
of the plate expecting Akins to bunt. Instead, Akins swang away and the ball hit Bilicki on a line drive. Bilicki stayed in the game.
The Lady Cougars' coaching staff consists of Toby Turpin, Adam Webster, Sam Moore and Tim Smith.
loganjournal
Logan County qualified for the championship game by beating Russellville 12-2 Monday night.
As had been the case in the two regular season games between the crosstown friendly rivals, Russellville took an early lead. Yokley walked Nakia
Daniel to start the game. After an out, Katy Johnson singled off the mound. Two bad throws-- one from the outfield and one by the catcher-- brought
Daniel and Johnson home.
The Lady Cougars came back with three runs in the first. Meguiar singled, Smith reached on an error, Yokley walked and Moore singled in two runs.
Croslin followed with an RBI double.
Logan scored four more runs in the second inning. Melton and Meguiar singled, Smith walked, and Belt and Bilicki smashed back-to-back 2-run
doubles.
Five more runs crossed the plate in the fourth inning as Logan batted around. Belt singled, Yokley and Moore reached on consecutive errors, and
Croslin doubled in a pair of runs, her second double and her third RBI. Schafer singled and Melton walked to reach base for the third straight time.
Meguiar doubled in 2 runs for her fourth straight hit.
If Russellville had gone down without scoring in the top of the fifth, the game would have been over via the 10-run mercy rle. The Lady Panthers,
however, would have none of that. Pitcher Tori Carnall, Courtney Barbe and Daniel each walked, and
Brittany Hampton singled in Carnall.
Yokley then got Johnson to fly out and induced Imani Hampton and Ashley Barbe to hit the ball back to her to quell the uprising.
In the bottom of the fifth, Belt got her third straight hit and second double to lead off the inning. Bilicki reached on an error, Yokley walked,
and Moore singled in Belt with the game-ending run at 12-2.
In addition to Meguiar's four hits, Belt had three with two doubles and three runs scored. Moore, Croslin and Melton each had a pair of hits.
Yokley pitched a 2-hitter while walking 6 and striking out 5.
Johnson, who was the team's only senior starter, and Hampton got the Russellville hits. Daniel and Courtney Barbe each walked twice.