PHOTO | Boothe Davis: Captured by the Moment Photography
Bill Lusk | WVOW Sports
LOGAN Logan junior right-hander Dawson Maynard and senior right-hander Jared Burnette combined to toss a one-hitter; however, it wasn’t enough as third-ranked Sissonville plated three runs in the fifth inning to defeat second-ranked Logan, 3-2, in game one of the Class AA Region 4 championship series Tuesday evening at Roger E. Gertz Field.
The same two teams will play in game two of a best of three format Wednesday evening at Sissonville High School.
With a win Wednesday, Sissonville would claim the Class AA Region 4 championship and a berth in next week’s Class AA state tournament at Appalachian Power Park. A win by Logan would force a decisive game three Thursday evening at Roger E. Gertz Field.
Maynard, who entered Tuesday’s game having issued just four walks on the year, walked the bases loaded with one out in the top of the fifth inning and his team leading 2-0. Maynard finished the evening with five walks, one of which was intentional, in five innings.
Sissonville cut the lead in half when Steve Loftis singled to center for the Indians only hit of the contest, scoring Jacob Coleman to make it 2-1.
The Indians tied the game, 2-2, when Noah Harless scored on Eli Simonton’s fielder’s choice and took the lead, 3-2, on a perfectly executed double steal as Simonton stole second base and Isaiah Ramsey stole home giving the Indians their first lead of the contest.
Logan would get a leadoff single from Ryan Roberts in the bottom of fifth, who would move to second on Burnette’s sacrifice bunt, but Sissonville starter Collin Cottrell retired the next two batters in the Wildcats lineup to keep the Indians in front.
Cottrell allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits while striking out eight and walking two in seven innings to earn his 10th win of the season.
Maynard, who suffered his first loss of the season, allowed three runs on one hit, struck out three, walked five and hit two batters in five innings. Burnette struck out three and walked three in two innings of relief.
Logan scored two runs in the bottom of the third as Jake Ramey grounded into a fielder’s choice scoring Burnette with the Wildcats first run while Carson Kirk scored on a throwing error for the second run.
Logan outhit Sissonville, 4-1, with Korbin Bostic, Burnette, Maynard and Roberts each singling for the Wildcats.
Loftis had Sissonville’s only hit and drove in a run while Simonton had an RBI. Ramsey walked three times, scored a run and stole home for the Indians.
Sissonville improves to 22-8 and is one win away from the school’s first state tournament appearance since 2010.
Logan falls to 24-8 and is facing the same scenario as last season. The Wildcats dropped game one of last year’s Region 4 championship series at home to Point Pleasant before rallying to win the next two on its way to the Class AA championship.