Russell County took advantage of every Logan County weakness in a 12-1 win over the Cougars in the first game of the Fourth Region Baseball Tournament at Western Kentucky University Monday.
     The Cougars had trouble hitting the ball on offense and either catching or stopping it on defense. The results weren’t pretty, if you were a Cougar supporter.
     Things didn’t start that way. In fact, Russell County coach David Rexroat may have set a regional record by visiting his pitcher on the mound after just two pitches. That came after Gabe Combs banged a ball high off the college-length fence on the first pitch of the game and freshman Ryan Harper hit the next pitch for a solid single that drove in Combs.
     Following Rexroat’s visit, pitcher Adam Black allowed only four more baserunners. He issued walks to John Logan Dockins and Dustin Cartas, hit Matt Cook with a pitch, and gave up another hit to Combs.
     Combs was the only Cougar to reach second base in the game, and he did so twice. He singled as the leadoff hitter in the third, and Cartas walked with one out. But Cartas and Dockins both popped up to end the threat.
     The second inning was a nightmare for the Cougars. Fourteen Lakers came to the plate against starting pitcher Brett Sowell and reliever Tyler Coleman. Seven of them scored on seven hits and three walks.
     The inning was kept alive on a botched call at third when Dockins tagged a runner who was somehow called safe.
     The Cougars’ defense, however, never gave the team a chance to win. Outfielders dived for balls that skidded past them. Infielders didn’t get to ground balls. Catcher Cartas made two good throws in attempt to thwart base stealers, but one throw was dropped and no one covered on the other.
     Logan finished with a 12-16 record, including 5-12 in the region. Russell County improved to 19-11, including 9-0 in the region.
     The 13^th District was eliminated in the opening round when Bowling Green blasted Franklin-Simpson 10-0.
    The 15^th District also fell when Warren Central beat Barren County 11-1 and Clinton County shocked Allen County-Scottsville 4-3.
The Lo Jo
    Senior starters for the Cougars at region were first baseman Dustin Lee and designated hitter Mark Allen Belcher. Coleman, who pitched in relief, is also a senior. They were the only twelfth graders on the roster at season’s end.