It’s always good when a team wins its home opener, but Bowling Green did it in extraordinary fashion after spending the first few weeks of the season away from home.
The Purples jumped out to an early 11-0 lead after two innings to coast to a 13-3 run-rule victory over Logan County in just five innings at Harold J. Stahl Field on Monday night.
“I was proud of our kids,” Bowling Green head coach Matt Myers said. “The energy, the contributions all up and down the lineup…just a really, really good game.”
Bowling Green (3-5) notched the victory over the Cougars just 18 days after Logan County handed the Purples a 6-2 defeat in Russellville, and the Purples have played against a ranked opponent from either Kentucky or Tennessee in every single regular-season game so far.
“Our kids have been grinding through a very difficult schedule, and it’s been unmatched by anybody,” Myers said. “You started to see the benefits of (playing a tough schedule). We played at a different level (Monday night).”
Junior Harris Tomblinson earned the win on the mound for Bowling Green, allowing three runs on three hits and four walks while striking out six in 3 2/3 innings of work.
“I thought Harris did a nice job of filling up the zone mostly,” Myers said. “He kept their big hitters down a little bit.”
Eli Thurman led the Purples at the plate by going 3-for-4 with four RBI while Evan Spader and Charlie Key drove in two and three runs, respectively, for Bowling Green—who will travel to Allen County-Scottsville on Thursday night.
The Purples got things going early with a bases-clearing 3-RBI double by Key with two outs in the bottom of the first, but the floodgates really opened for Bowling Green in the bottom of the second.
Eli Thurman singled to right center to plate courtesy runner Eli Burwash before Will Garske delivered a 2-RBI single to left to give the Purples a 6-0 advantage with only one out, the senior advancing to second on the throw home.
Garske went to third on a passed ball, and Joe Howard walked to put runners at the corners with only one out—prompting Logan County coach Ethan Meguiar to pull starter Tommy Krohn and bring in Parker White from the bullpen.
White worked a 2-2 count against Spader before the sophomore drilled a 2-RBI double to right field that was just to the left of the foul ball line. Jay Buser followed with an infield RBI single to score Trevor Dennis, and Thurman smacked a 2-RBI single to score Spader and Burwash and give the Purples a commanding 11-0 lead after two innings.
Logan County (6-3) finally broke through in the top of the third with a three-run homer by senior Kaleb Justice, but that would be the only offensive production of the night for the Cougars, who will look to bounce back with a home game against 13thDistrict rival Franklin-Simpson on Tuesday night.
The Cougars left the bases loaded in the top of the fourth while Bowling Green tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the inning when Jay Buser reached on an error to score Burwash and eventualy scored on a wild pitch, giving the Purples a chance for the run-rule win in the top if the fifth.
Logan County loaded up the bases yet again and threatened to extend the game, but sophomore pitcher Max Payne slammed the door by catching Chandler Silvey looking at called strike three on a biting curveball.
“These guys (Logan County) are good enough hitters that they can swing themselves back into it,” Myers said. “That’s why you can never stop scoring, never stop playing, and finish the game when you can. I thought our kids did a good job, and Max came in and finished it out like we were supposed to.”
