Back To Basics: Titans Win Wooden Bat Game
The Harrodsburg Herald/Casey Roberts
Mercer senior Will Johnson goes for the tag in the Titans’ win over Oldham County on Monday, April 3.
Casey Roberts
Herald Staff
Sports@harrodsburgherald.com
While most students are enjoying their spring break resting or hanging with friends, the Mercer County Titans baseball team is hard at work. In their most recent contest, the Titans took on Oldham County in a wood bat showcase. Mercer started slow but eventually displayed their dominance, jumping ahead in the fifth inning. Mercer hit the gas in the top of the seventh on their way to a 7-1 victory.
This Mercer team appears to have all the pieces to be a strong contender in the region, but even the best of teams struggle in certain situations, as was the case Monday. The Titans struggled early, falling behind 1-0 in the second inning while not scoring their first run until the fourth.
The fifth inning began with back-to-back Mercer batters being hit by a pitch, freshman Ayden Stephens then moved his teammates up a base via a perfect bunt for a single. With the bases loaded the pressure mounted on the Oldham County pitcher. The Colonels starter threw four straight balls out of the strike zone, giving Mercer their first lead of the game.
Senior Jonathon Logdon, senior Andrew Sheperson and junior Evann White all repeated the process, the four straight walks helped the Titans push their lead to 5-1 by the end of the fifth inning.
Neither team managed to plate any runs during the sixth inning, however, junior Will Johnson’s single had the Titans in business to lead off the top of the seventh. Luck favored the Titans when Logdon’s ground ball back to the pitcher resulted in a Colonel’s error that allowed Logdon to reach base safely and Johnson to cross home plate.
White was credited with an insurance RBI via a ground ball to the Oldham County shortstop, which scored Logdon from third and moved Mercer ahead 7-1.
In the bottom of the final inning, Titans pitcher Logdon had the responsibility of finishing off the Colonels. He quickly sat down the first of the Oldham batters on three straight strikes. Logdon then retired the second batter after a weak ground ball back to the pitcher’s mound. Oldham delivered a two-out double to keep their hopes alive, but Logdon forced his final batter to a shallow pop out to right field for the final out of the game, earning their seventh win of the early season.
Stephens took the win for Mercer County. He surrendered one run on two hits over six innings, striking out three. Logdon threw one inning in relief out of the bullpen.
Jaxon Perkins took the loss for the Colonels. He went four innings, allowing one run on one hit and striking out two.
Stephens led the way in hits for the Titans, going 2-4 at the plate. Mercer will be back in action again Friday, April. 7 at 7:30 p.m. against Pride School of Frankfort and Monday, April 10, against Indian Trail from Kenosha, Wisconsin.
