Mount Pulaski defeats Hartsburg-Emden 11-4 in Logan County Tournament play-in game

[September 01, 2017] 

In Junior High Boy's Baseball, following Thursday afternoon's Logan County Tournament play at Frazier Park, Mount Pulaski, the no. 4 seed, advances to play the no. 1 seed, West Lincoln-Broadwell at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Lincoln Rec Center. The no. 2 seed Chester East-Lincoln will play the no. 3 seed Carroll Catholic at 11 a.m. at the Lincoln Rec Center on Saturday. The championship game of the Logan County Tournament is set for 1 p.m. Saturday.

The Hartem Stags, still looking for their first win on the season, struck first against Mount Pulaski Thursday afternoon with two runs in the top of the first inning.

The Bruins scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning off Drew McAfee and Mount Pulaski never relinquished the lead.

After five innings of play, Mount Pulaski had an 11-3 lead for starter Landon Smith. Landon Smith struck out five batters and walked two in his five innings of work. He was relieved by brother Gavin Smith and Luke Farris.

Gavin Smith pitched in relief Thursday against Hartem.

Hartem did score one run in the top of the sixth inning but Farris finished the job on the mound and the Bruins 11-4 victory earned a date with the no. 1 seed West Lincoln-Broadwell on Saturday.

Evan Cooper scores a run for Mount Pulaski in the bottom of the fifth inning against Hartem. The two teams met Thursday afternoon at Frazier Park for a play-in game for the Logan County Tournament. - Photo by Teena Lowery

Drew Hayes pitched the final four innings for Hartem.

For Mount Pulaski, Evan Cooper and Jackson Fricke were both 2-for-4 at the plate. Gavin Smith was 2-for-3 at the plate. Lucas Kuhlman, Nolan Deibert, Andrew Bailey and Luke Farris each had hits for Mount Pulaski. Kuhlman, Cooper and Bailey each drove in two runs apiece for the Bruins.

For Hartem, Drew Hayes was 2-for-2 with a run scored. Blake Martin, Cohnor Langley, Drew McAfee and Will Simonton also had hits for the Stags.

[Teena Lowery]