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By Tyler F. Thompson (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
OZARK, Mo. — The defending Class 4 state champion Kennett Indians were the No. 1 team in Class 4 heading into the state semifinals Wednesday afternoon at U.S. Ballpark in Ozark.
The Logan-Rogersville Wildcats (26-7) — the No. 4 club — never received the memo as they pounded the Indians 11-1, advancing to Thursday’s title tilt.
Sophomore hurler Ross Lawrence was flat-out nasty, going six innings, allowing five hits and one run.
“My curveball was working really well for me today,” Lawrence said.
Lawrence set the tone from the moment he toed the rubber in the bottom of the first inning.
While youth is one his side, Lawrence paralleled a veteran, going high and tight, going low and away, and hitting the black on most hitters.
In short, the southpaw was in the proverbial zone.
“Coach [Ledl] just told me to go out and paint the corners.”
The game was one of a historic nature for Lawrence as his ‘Cats, who had not made it past districts since 2015.
“It was something I had never felt before,” Lawrence said of the on-field mob after the 18th out was secured. “Oh, it was amazing.”
While Lawrence was rolling, so was the offense, as it netted 11 runs on 13 hits.
And the defense, juxtaposition was key as it played clean baseball and didn’t commit a single error.
Curry Sutherland, who is committed to Missouri State University, plated the first run on his RBI single in the top of the first.
In the second frame, an error by the Indians plated the second run.
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The Indians coughed up the ball three times in the contest, and the Wildcats pounced the opportunities.
In the third, a wild pitch extended the lead to 3-0, and an overthrow at third base after a screaming liner added another two runs, 5-0.
The ‘Cats added two more in fourth (wild pitch, fielder’s choice).
In the bottom of the fourth, the Indians appeared to figure out Lawrence, for a bit, as six batters came to the dish, adding one run, 7-1.
That inning appeared to ignite an even more detrimental spark aimed toward the Indians.
Lawrence modified is arsenal from that point on, he said.
“Late in the game, my changeup started going on,” Lawrence said. “It was just moving really well. I finally got it to work. My team made amazing plays for me.”
Lawrence went 6-1 with a 1.82 ERA during the regular season.
Skipper Casey Ledl said the season has been for the ages, as his squad has plated 38 runs in the previous three games.
Of course, on this day, the tilt was a home-away-from-home game.
“The crowd up there, everyone was pretty excited, being 10 minutes from home,” he said. “Our kids worked their tails off to get here, so to do it like that against a quality opponent, we are pretty darn excited for tomorrow.”
Rogersville now is 10-0 on neutral sites.
The Wildcats now await their opponent for Thursday’s 1 p.m. title tilt: Marshall or Southern Boone County.
