Photo | Paul Adkins
Logan freshman shortstop Z. Minnick dives for the ball in last night’s game.
If the last two nights are any indication the upcoming Class AAA sectional baseball tournament should be a dandy.
For the second straight evening the Logan High School baseball team rallied to beat a sectional opponent on its home field.
This time, George Washington was the victim as the Class AAA No. 6 Wildcats came back to defeat the Patriots 10-8 at Logan’s Roger Gertz Field on a chilly Tuesday night.
The Wildcats, which improved to 15-3 on the season, trailed GW 6-2 in the third inning and 8-4 in the sixth before pushing six runs across in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Two nights ago, Logan trailed sectional rival South Charleston 6-4 but came back to win 7-6 over the Black Eagles, also at home.
The Wildcats got the game-winner in the bottom of the sixth when second baseman Trent Dalton broke an 8-8 tie as he punched a 1-2 pitch to the opposite field in right for an RBI single.
Logan then scored an insurance run with a forced steal as the Wildcats had runners at the corners and two outs. Dalton got himself purposely into a rundown and when the throw went to George Washington first baseman Joe Wong, Logan’s runner on third base, Matthew Greene, then broke for home. He beat Wong’s toss and slid in safely as Logan led 10-8.
Logan coach Roger Gertz then went to his bullpen in the top of the seventh, calling on his closer Justin Oney to shut the door on the Patriots.
George Washington got a two-out, pinch-hit single from Jeff Wong but then Oney, a senior right-hander, struck out leadoff man Reagan Patton to end the game.
Logan relief pitcher Johnny Morrison was credited with the win. He relieved starter Alex Mareske in the top of the sixth and gave up one run and two hits with one walk. Then in bottom of the sixth, Logan plated its six runs.
George Washington starter Clayton Anderson went the distance, yielding 10 runs and 10 hits with seven walks and one strikeout.
Mareske tossed five innings and gave up six runs and seven hits with eight strikeouts and four walks.
Down 8-4 in the sixth, Logan went to work.
Andrew Staton’s RBI single up the middle cut the Patriot lead to 8-5.
Then with one out, catcher Benji Adkins laced an RBI single to left off a tiring Anderson, to make it an 8-6 ballgame.
Mareske then stepped up and belted an RBI single to left, trimming GW lead to just 8-7.
Courtesy runner Chase Preston then scored on a dropped fly ball error in the Patriot outfield to tie it up 8-8.
Dalton then came up with his two-out clutch hit to right field for the winner.
George Washington had jumped on top 1-0 in the top of the first with Anderson’s RBI single to right.
The Wildcats plated two in the last half of the first to take a 2-1 lead. The runs scored on back-to-back RBI fielder’s choice play groundballs by Adkins and Mareske.
GW went back on top 5-2 in the second after Patton’s RBI single to center and catcher Alex Levitan’s monstrous three-run homer to left which nearly hit the school.
The Patriots would add another in the third as Anderson doubled and scored on Connor Moffatt’s RBI double to left as GW led 6-2.
Logan cut the deficit to 6-4 in the bottom of the third as Oney had an RBI bloop single behind second base. Dalton followed by drawing a bases loaded walk to force in another run.
George Washington tacked on two more in the top of the sixth off Morrison to make it 8-4. Wong drove in one with a sac fly to right. Anderson knocked in the other run with an RBI single to left.
But then it was a disaster for the Patriots in the bottom of the sixth as Logan rallied for the win.
Adam Mareske went 2-for-3 with two singles for Logan. Adkins was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI while Alex Mareske was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Dalton had two RBI, including the game-winner.
Anderson went 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead GW. Moffatt, Levitan and Patton had two hits each.
George Washington dropped to 14-10 on the season with the loss. The Patriots were swept by Logan this season, falling 13-3 in late March at home. Logan went 4-0 against its sectional rivals, also taking a 7-3 victory at South Charleston during the regular season.
Logan is scheduled to return to action on Thursday at Cabell Midland. Game time is 7 p.m. The Cats then host Scott on Friday at 7 p.m. and host Wyoming East on Saturday at 1 p.m. on the island.
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