Bradley Taylor singled in Third Bell and Michael Riley with what proved to be the winning runs in the bottom of the sixth inning Tuesday, as the Logan County Cougars edged visiting Russellville 7-5 in a 13th District baseball game.
Coach Blake Crabtree’s RHS team had tied the game in the top of the sixth before Taylor hit the game winner. Riley shut down the Panthers in the seventh inning for the win.
RHS had jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, with Evan Humphrey singling in Colby Nichols and T.K. Hampton.
Logan’s first run came in the third inning when Taylor singled in Riley.
Also getting hits for Coach Ethan Meguiar’s Cougars were Austin Rayno, Kaleb Justice, Riley and Bell. Riley, who walked twice, scored three runs with Rayno, Taylor, Bell and Ethan Smock also scoring. Jackson Campbell, Nick Wooden, D.J. Beard and Dylan Penick joined Riley and Taylor in walking. Taylor stole a base to add to his impressive outing.
For Russellville, Jordan Blick, George Ortiz, Brock Cleary got hits in addition to Humphrey. Blick tripled for two RBIs. Brendan Hughes and Andrew Brendel scored runs in addition to Blick, Nichols and Hampton. Nichols, Hampton and Brendel each walked twice with Cleary and Humphrey also getting free passes. Hughes stoke a base.
Logan starting pitcher Wooden worked the first 14 outs. He allowed three runs (only one earned) on two hits and five walks. He struck out eight Panthers. Penick came on two get the final out of the fifth inning, but gave up the two tying runs. Riley worked the last two innings. He gave up a hit and two walks while striking out two RHS batters.
Anthony Woodard had the honor of starting in this Clash of the Cats for the Panthers as a seventh grader, but he was over-matched by Cougar pitching, striking out in all three at-bats.
Nichols pitched the first four inning for the Panthers. He gave up five runs (three of them earned) on four hits and six walks while fanning six Cougars. Blick pitched the final two innings and found deuces to be wild. His stat sheet shows two runs (both earned) on two hits and two walks while striking out two. He took the loss.
The Cougars’ record improved to 7-2 while the Panthers remained winless in six starts.