Gateway edges Logan in extras

LOGAN - Gateway Christian and Logan's baseball teams may face each other again later this spring during the Class 1A playoffs, including a possible rematch of last year's title game.

For now, the Warriors have bragging rights against the defending 1A champ.

Gateway Christian scored the go-ahead run in extra innings, then retired Logan in order for secure a 4-3 victory on March 28. That gave the Warriors (3-3) two wins in three games against the Longhorns (4-2) this season.

Gateway quickly recovered after Logan rallied from a 3-1 deficit to tie it in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings. That resilience was key, coach Rick Rapp said.

"When we played on Friday, we actually played a good ballgame but got rattled in the fifth inning and let them get the lead on us" during a 4-3 loss, Rapp said. "We made four errors on four consecutive plays.

"We didn't do that this time. We showed some improvement and some maturity. We battled, and we didn't give up. We did what we had to do."

Both teams left eight runners on base, but Logan coach Kyle Griffiths felt his team's lack of clutch hitting was more damaging.

"We gotta hit the ball," he said. "We had bases loaded, we had guys on second and third numerous times throughout the game, and we didn't get that clutch hit. It was the same sort of problem we had against them last week. We're making contact; we're not striking out a lot. We're just not hitting it hard."

One exception for the Longhorns was eighth-grade first baseman Mason Wallin, who went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs, including the tying RBI with two out in the seventh inning.

"For an eighth-grader to come through in a big situation is huge," Griffiths said. "But we needed some of our older guys to come through in that situation."

The matchup appeared to be shaping into a pitchers' duel between Gateway's Jace Worley and Logan's Kaeden Stoner before both were removed from the mound late in the game due to pitch-count limits.

Worley allowed five hits, six walks and two earned runs while striking out eight in 6 2/3 innings. Stoner gave up four hits, four walks and two earned runs while fanning 14 in 6 1/3 innings.

Instead, Zach McCracken earned the win for Gateway in 1 1/3 innings of relief. Reliever Izaiah Kneitz took the loss in 1 2/3 innings for Logan.

The Warriors drew first blood in the third when Caleb Moore walked, advanced a base on a passed ball, moved to third on a single and scored on Luke Tipton's groundout for a 1-0 lead.

Gateway added a run in the sixth when Ethaniel Wigley walked and scored on McCracken's triple down the left-field line.

Logan closed the gap to 2-1 in the sixth. Park Strong walked and was replaced by courtesy runner Bill DeLuca, who stole second. Wallin brought him home with a single.

The Warriors increased their lead to 3-1 in the top of the seventh when Worley doubled and scored on Strong's throwing error during a steal attempt.

The Longhorns' rally in the bottom of the seventh occurred after Aydin Kotara and Stoner both walked and stole a base. Kotara scored on a wild pitch, and Wallin singled with two out to drive in Stoner and tie it 3-3.

In the top of the eighth, Wigley led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a groundout. Cameron Brown singled to drive home Wigley for a 4-3 lead.

Kneitz led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk but was caught stealing. The next two batters flied out to end the game.

Rapp said he was aware of the possibility of meeting the Longhorns again in the postseason but didn't want to dwell on it.

"From this point on, I can't worry about them. We just have to make sure we get there," he said.

Logan 25, Dora 1

Logan 10, Dora 0

Logan swept a doubleheader Friday at host Dora by scores of 25-1 and 10-0.

In the first game, the Longhorns led 13-0 after three innings and added 10 runs in the fourth.

Starting pitcher Park Strong struck out eight batters and allowed just three hits and one walk in five innings. He also went 4-for-6 at the plate, including a home run and a double, with four RBI.

Kaeden Stoner went 5-for-6 with four RBI, and Brock Burns went 3-for-6 with six RBI, including a home run and a double.

In the second game, Burns threw a no-hitter for Logan. He struck out 13 and walked four.

Logan ended the week with a 6-2 record. Dora fell to 0-3-1.