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By Michael Cignoli (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
HOLLISTER — For the first time since 2015, members of the Logan-Rogersville baseball team can call themselves district champions.
Ross Lawrence threw six spectacular shutout innings, Hunter Lewis made a key defensive play that set the tone for a six-run first and the Wildcats cruised to the Class 4 District 10 title with a 9-4 victory over Hollister on Tuesday evening at Tiger Field.
The Wildcats, who led 9-0 before the Tigers scored four runs with two outs in the top of the seventh, will host the District 9 champion in a sectional next Tuesday. California (17-7) and Eldon (11-17) will meet at 5 p.m. tomorrow to determine the champion of that district.
Fourth-ranked Logan-Rogersville (23-7) is searching for its first victory in the state tournament since 2014, when the Wildcats placed third in the state for the second consecutive season.
They lost in the first round of the state tournament the following season, touching off a six-year stretch in which the Wildcats were unable to advance out of their district. That culminated in last year’s 3-2 opening-round loss to Ava, though the Wildcats got their revenge this season.
The Wildcats cruised to a 10-run victory over the Bears in their district opener on Monday, then rode that momentum to a victory that erased the pain of years of near-misses and what-ifs.
“We felt like we were pretty darn good and it was a special climb last year and we just came up short in a game,” Wildcats coach Casey Ledl said. “This has definitely been the goal since we started working out in January. This has definitely been the goal. They’ve accomplished one. We’ve got more goals. They know that. They’ll come to practice ready to go.”
Lawrence, a sophomore left-hander, was ready to go on Tuesday.
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“He’s been darn good all year long,” Ledl said. “He’s thrown some great innings for us.”
Add six more to Lawrence’s resume, as he struck out seven and allowed just five hits and a walk.
But the night could have gone much differently if not for an incredible defensive play by Lewis, whose diving stop on a hard-hit ground ball saved two runs in the top of the first. Instead, the first baseman stepped on the bag to end the inning and prevent the Tigers from striking first.
“I wasn’t expecting a rocket to my left,” Lewis said. “To be honest, just thinking back, it was just instinct and reflexes. I’m just glad I got the ball in the glove and was able to pop up and touch the bag to save those two runs. Honestly, I think that’s what fed that first inning.”
And what an inning it was.
The Wildcats scored six runs on just four hits, chasing all-state pitcher Clay Kemp after just two-thirds of an inning. He walked two batters and hit another before transitioning to the infield.
“Clay is a good pitcher over there,” Ledl said. “We’ve had several battles with him over the years. We knew he was going to come out. He’s going to be around the zone. We felt like we were going to take it to him and not let him dictate the game. Obviously, scoring six runs in the first, I feel like we did that pretty well.”
Curry Sutherland opened the scoring with a one-out RBI double down the left field line, two runs scored on passed balls and Zach Higdon drove in two more with a double to deep left center.
Tanner Petersen made it 6-0 with a two-out single up the middle.
That was more than enough cushion for Lawrence, who found a rhythm after a rocky start.
After Hollister’s first two batters reached scoring position – although Lewis ensured no harm was done – Lawrence allowed just two batters to advance to second base the rest of the night.
“I just had to keep my confidence up,” Lawrence said. “That’s the big thing about me. If I get down, I’m not very good. If I keep my confidence up, I’m up there.”
Noah Carrow led off the third inning with a home run and Higdon scored on a fielder’s choice later in the frame, stretching the lead to 8-0. Blythe Blakey added an RBI double in the fifth.
All nine Logan-Rogersville starters reached base safely at least once.
Higdon finished 3-for-4, driving in a pair of runs and scoring three more.
“Once we got that first runner in – that first RBI – our energy was nuts,” Higdon said. “We went up and just kept going. We didn’t stop.”
Ronny Daniels and Hunter Jones allowed just three runs in five innings of relief work for Hollister, though the Tigers weren’t able to generate any offense until Lawrence left the game at the start of the seventh inning.
Blake Russell legged out a two-out infield single, allowing Ryland Franks to score from third base. Kemp followed that with a three-run homer in the final at bat of his career, cutting the deficit to 9-4.
But Carrow retired the next batter he faced, touching off a celebration several years in the making.
“We’ve got some real good hitters that work their tails off,” Ledl said. “We’re a very good fastball-hitting team. They jumped out there on some of those fastballs. They really got after it early and gave Ross a nice cushion to pitch with. “It’s a lot easier to pitch when you have a five- or six-run lead. He settled down after the first inning and really threw well.”
Hollister, which placed fourth in the state last season, ended the year 20-7.
HOLLISTER (20-7) 000 000 4 — 4
LOGAN-ROGERSVILLE (23-7) 602 010 x — 9
