The teams were the same, including the starting pitchers, but the results were decidedly different when district rivals Logan County and Franklin-Simpson dueled for the top spot in 13th District baseball only eight days apart.
At LCHS, Coach Ethan Meguiar’s Cougars won a star pitchers’ showcase 1-0. At FSHS, Franklin put together a huge inning on the way to a 7-4 decision.
Cougar Caleb Bruner, who has signed to play baseball for WKU, earned the win despite Franklin star Seth Johnson’s pitching a no-hitter.
Luke Woodall worked Johnson’s lone walk and scored. He advanced when Matt Harper was hit by a pitch. Then he stole third base and came home when F-S catcher Hunter Janes’ throw to third sailed into the outfield. Johnson, a junior, struck out 12 Logan batters.
Bruner gave up three hits and two walks. Evan Figert, Janes and Brandon Maness picked up the hits with the walks going to Colton Hurt and Tanner Spears. Bruner fanned 13 Wildcats.
The game at Franklin was scoreless until the fourth inning. The Cougars scored twice in the top of the inning to get things started, but Coach Craig Delk‘s team got to Bruner for six runs in the bottom of the inning for six runs. Ten Cats came to the plate.
When Figert homered in the fifth, Meguiar went to reliever Ethan Smock. He didn’t allow any more runs.
The Cougars scored single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but they weren’t enough.
Senior Tucker Baldwin got three hits, including a double, off Johnson along with an RBI and a run scored. Freshman Austin Rayno added two hits and an RBI. Also getting hits were Michael Riley, Bruner and Woodall. Riley and Daniel Beaty also scored. Woodall doubled for an RBI. Baldwin and Harper were hit by pitches off Johnson, who joined Bruner in being much less effective in this game than in the first masterpiece.
Cam Richardson, Figert and Janes each had two hits for Franklin. Hurt doubled and drove in three runs. Grant Harvey and Josh White each had a hit.
Logan now has a 20-9 record. Franklin-Simpson is 19-11. They tied for the top spot in the district seedings with 5-1 records.