Looking for a first win over Logan County in over a decade and hoping to duplicate the 2004 team’s run to the 13th-District title, the Todd County Central Rebels were handed a cruel 6-5 walk-off loss in Saturday’s semifinal matchup with the Cougars.
The Rebels see a six-game win streak come to an end and finish the season at 22-10, the program’s best record in over a quarter-century.
Logan County outscored the Rebels 17-1 over the course of two regular-season wins and they jumped in front in the bottom of the first on a two-run home run by Macon Barrow.
Back-to-back singles and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for Todd Central in the top of the third, with Ethan Bicksler grounding out to bring in the first run and a second coming in on a balk by Cougars’ starting pitcher Sam Brown. Tanner Farmer followed with a single to bring in Preston Rager and give the Rebels a 3-2 advantage.
After allowing the first-inning home run, Rager settled in on the mound for the Rebels, allowing only four hits through four. However, after a single and a hit by pitch to start the bottom of the fifth, an error allowed two runs to score and Jaxon Hendrix added an RBI single to give the Cougars back the lead at 5-3.
Bicksler reached on an error to start the Rebel sixth and Tanner Farmer followed with a single. Jacob Brandon singled to score a run and Jase Hampton delivered a two-out RBI single to tie the game at 5-5.
After Rager issued a lead-off walk in the bottom of the sixth, he gave way to Hampton on the mound and he got out of the inning unscathed.
Hampton got the first out in the seventh but walked the next two batters and was replaced by Farmer. Barrow lined Farmer’s second pitch over the third baseman’s head and Davin Yates scored from second to send the Cougars to Monday’s district-title game with top-seeded Franklin-Simpson.
Hampton took the loss after one and a third inning of work, allowing a run on no hits with a pair of walks and a strikeout. Rager gave up five runs, only one earned, with five walks and nine strikeouts.
Brown went the distance on the mound for the Cougars, giving up five runs, three earned, on seven hits with a walk and nine strikeouts.
