After falling behind 2-0 before they ever came to bat, the Logan County Cougars roared back to beat Todd Central 9-2 in the opening game of the 13th District Baseball Tournament Monday at LCHS.
The runs came off the bat of senior Ethan Chester, who hit a two-run homer. Jared England, who had been hit by a pitch, scored ahead of him. Noah Bicksler doubled and Austin Dukes singled for the only other hits Coach Matt Baker ‘s team managed the rest of the game. Dukes and Josh Gant worked the only Rebel walks.
Starting pitcher Joe Holliday was in control the last five innings he worked. He finished with only the two runs allowed on only three hits and two walks while striking out six. Two-thirds of his pitches were strikes. Hunter Britt pitched a perfect seventh inning in relief. He retired all three batters he faced, one on a strikeout.
Todd pitchers Dukes and Matt Guinn gave up the nine runs on just seven hits, but they walked nine Cougars. Matt Harper was the hitting star. He homered, doubled and walked, driving in three runs. Daniel Beaty added two hits, one of them a double. He also drove in a run and scored one.
Also getting hits were Tucker Baldwin, Caleb Bruner and Jacob Wood. Baldwin had an RBI. Wood, Bruner and Michael Riley each walked twice with Holliday, Harper and Baldwin each walking once. Bruner and Riley each scored twice. Also scoring were Wood, Harper, Beaty and Baldwin.
Coach Ethan Meguiar’s Cougars ran their record to 25-9 overall, 16-6 region and 6-1 district. The Rebels finished 5-21, 0-9, 0-7.
Meguiar said the 25 wins constitute the second highest total in all the years he has coached. Last year’s regional championship team won 26.
Logan plays Franklin-Simpson Tuesday in the 6 p.m. district finals at RHS.