Bill Lusk | WVOW Sports
WEBSTER SPRINGS The Logan Senior League is one win away from securing a state championship and they will have two chances to get that win.
Logan is the lone unbeaten team remaining in the West Virginia Senior League State Tournament after holding on for a 6-4 win over Sophia Little League Sunday afternoon at Don E. McCourt Field.
Logan will play the winner of Monday evening’s elimination game between Hedgesville and Sophia at 8:30 p.m. Monday and would have to be beat twice.
Hedgesville won a pair of elimination games Sunday to stay alive in the state tournament. First defeating Central Greenbrier, 6-0, Sunday morning and then defeating host Webster, 11-0, in four innings.
Sophia and Hedgesville meet at 6 p.m. Monday afternoon. Sophia defeated Hedgesville, 8-0, Saturday afternoon in the tournament opener for both teams.
Logan led 6-2 in the top of the seventh inning before Sophia loaded the bases to start the seventh.
The four-run deficit was too much to overcome despite plating two runs. Andrew Coalson reached on a fielder’s choice to score Allen Coalson and Chase Shea had a sacrifice fly scoring Levi Shrewsberry, but Cross Conn got Colyn Smith to strike out looking securing the win for Logan.
Conn pitched a complete game to pick up the win allowing four runs – two earned – on six hits while striking out 10 and walking three.
Crew Blankenship had three hits and drove in one run while Adam Baisden had two hits including a double and scored twice while Jayce Wolfe finished with two hits for Logan at the plate.
Jaxon McClung had one hit and drove in one and Tanner Akers and Alton Ellis each had one RBI.
Sophia jumped on Logan early with a run in the first inning when Carter Hajash singled to score Andrew Coalson to stake Sophia out to a 1-0 lead.
Logan took the lead for good when they plated three runs in the third inning. Baisden doubled to left scoring Wolfe to tie the game at 1. An error by the left fielder allowed Rob Ball to score giving Logan a 2-1 lead.
Blankenship followed Baisden’s double with a bunt single that scored Baisden for a 3-1 lead.
Sophia got a run back in the fourth when Andrew Coalson scored on Shea’s sacrifice fly to pull with one, 3-2, but Logan would plate three insurance runs in bottom of the sixth.
Ball led off the inning with what appeared to be a solo homerun over the left field fence, however, not long after crossing the crossing the plate, Sophia appealed the homerun claiming that Ball missed first base on his journey around the basepath, and the first base umpired ruled that Ball failed to touch base and was called out.
The overturned call didn’t stop Logan’s momentum as the next three hitters reached base. Baisden and Blankenship singled and Landon Hall walked to bring Akers to the plate.
Akers reached on an error allowing Baisden to score as Logan increased its lead to 4-2. A pair of bases loaded walks to Ellis and McClung brought home Hall and Akers to put Logan on top 6-2.
Hajash started for Sophia and was the losing pitcher after allowing five runs – three earned – on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out three, walked four and hit three batters. Despite not allowing a hit, Shea took over on the mound and allowed one run and issued three walks in 2/3 innings of relief.
Shea had two sacrifice flies and drove in two runs for Sophia. Andrew Coalson had one hit, drove in one and scored twice while Hajash finished with one hit and one RBI. Hunter Austin, Allen Coalson, Logan Ellis and Hunter Milam each had one hit.
West Virginia Senior League State Tournament
Don E. McCourt Field- Webster Springs, WV
Logan 6, Sophia 4
Sophia 101 000 2- 4 6 2
Logan 003 003 x- 6 8 2
Hajash, Shea (6) and Smith. Conn and Ellis. Top hitters- S: Shea 0-2, 2 RBI; Coalson, An. 1-3, RBI, 2 Runs; Hajash 1-3, RBI. L: Blankenship 3-3, RBI; Baisden 2-3, 2B, RBI, 2 Runs; Wolfe 2-4, McClung 1-1, RBI; Akers 0-3, RBI; Ellis 0-3, RBI.
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