Even with a pair of fifth graders pitching the first two innings of the nightcap, the Logan County Middle School softball team ran its record to 6-0 last Thursday with a pair of victories at Butler County. Coach Julie Belcher’s Lady Cougars won the opener 6-2 and then came from behind to take the second game 10-8.
Kaylin Page and Hannah Cron each scored two runs in the opener. Teanna Gray singled, reached base three times and scored a run. Kennedy Nichols had a hit. Jordyn Belcher was on base twice and scored the other run.
Logan scored two runs in the third inning after two outs. Page singled and Cron and Belcher each reached on an error. Page and Cron scored. Gray singled and scored what proved to be the winning run in the fourth. Jillian McLellan sacrificed her to second and Nichols singled her in.
In the fifth, the top three hitters in the order scored. Page got her second hit, Cron reached for the third straight time, Belcher reached on a fielder’s choice that resulted in no outs, Brea Croslin reached on an error, Gray joined her on base when the ball got away from the catcher on a third strike, and McLellan bunted in the final run.
Sixth grader Sydney Lee pitched the complete game for the win. She gave up eight hits but only one walk, resulting in only two runs scoring, one of them unearned. She struck out three Lady Bears, and the Lady Cougars made just one error, that one coming in the outfield.
Logan County led 5-3 after an eventful first inning of Game 2. In Logan’s half of the inning, Page reached on an error, and Cron and Croslin each singled. Gray reached on an error, and Sarah Beth Hale singled. With two outs, Nichols and Rosie Kerchenski each singled. Page, Cron, Croslin, Gray and Hale all scored.
Page walked to lead off the second, Susanna Higgins moved her up, Belcher walked and Page scored on Croslin’s sacrifice fly. Hale led off the third by walking and scored.
The final three runs in a two-run win scored for Logan in the final inning. Abby Hinton became the third straight Lady Cougar to lead off an inning with a walk. Page singled, Higgins walked, and Croslin got the game-winning hit.
Fifth graders Page and Hinton pitched an inning each for Logan, and Lee came in to finish the game and get another win.
The Lady Cougars won two more games Tuesday against Todd County, running their record to 8-0. Details of those games will appear on The LoJo later.
Coaches Julie and Jeff Belcher will take their team to Franklin-Simpson Thursday for a doubleheader which begins at 5:30 p.m.
Eighth Grade Night will be held in the final home appearance Tuesday, Sept. 10. Eighth graders Jordyn Belcher, Haleigh Duncan, Teanna Gray and Susanna Higgins will be honored at 5 p.m. before the 5:30 opening pitch against Butler County.