Southeast District Division IV Championship
No. 7 Logan Elm 7, No. 3 Wheelersburg 6 (9 innings)
CHILLICOTHE — Nothing was certain until a called third strike in the bottom of the ninth sent Logan Elm on to next week’s regional as a 7-6 winner over Wheelersburg.
This is the best postseason showing for the Braves since a district runner-up spot in 2014.
The game had set tied at 6-6 since the third inning. LE managed a baserunner in the sixth and seventh while Wheelersburg had one in the sixth and two in the seventh.
Brady Neff opened the top of the ninth with a line drive single over a leaping shortstop and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Blake Summers.
After a fly ball out to right, Cam Ebert was intentionally walked, and Zane Seimer came to the plate. He narrowly missed bringing in a run when a line drive down the right field line was just foul. But he answered two pitches later with a single to left that brought Neff in with the go-ahead run.
With their season on the line, Bransyn Russell opened Wheelersburg’s half of the inning working the count full and then drawing a walk. He moved up on a sacrifice bunt.
Kelton Bennington, who had been working the mound since the third inning, got the next batter looking for the second out.
Russell stole third on a 2-1 pitch in the dirt, but Bennington’s next two pitches were strikes and the batter looked at both to end the game and give the Braves a district title.
Bennington worked seven innings to get the win. He gave up four hits, walked four, allowed three unearned runs and struck out 12.
Seimer started and pitched two innings. He gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits with two walks and a strikeout.
The game started out in favor of the Pirates who scored in the first inning on a couple of singles.
A single, an error and a walk loaded the bases in the second and the Pirates followed with a single and a fielder’s choice to go up 3-0.
The Braves started the third with an out but walks from Lucas Gentry and Lucas Bialy, along with a single from Neff, loaded the bases.
Summers singled to left to score Gentry. Bennington followed with a ground ball to the third baseman who threw home. The catcher couldn’t get control of the throw in time and Bialy scored. Cam Ebert followed with a fly ball to center that allowed Neff to score.
Seimer then hit a line drive to right to bring in Summers and he and Bennington took an extra base on the throw home.
After Blake Swicegood was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Carter Congrove singled to drive in Seimer and Bennington to make it a 6-3 game.
A two-out error in the bottom of the third was followed by a walk and a hit batter to load the bases for Wheelersburg. Cameron Conn followed with a two-run single to center and Drew Holland had an RBI single to tie the game at 6-6, which is where the game stood until the ninth inning.
The Pirates (16-12) used three pitchers Tuesday with starter Bransyn Russell going 2.2 innings and giving up six earned runs on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Tanner Scior pitched 3.2 innings of hitless baseball while striking out five.
Owen Wilburn took the loss in relief as he went the final 2.2 innings giving up one earned run on two hits with three walks and he struck out two.
The Braves (15-10) head to Ohio University on Tuesday afternoon to take on Fairfield Union (21-6), which claimed the other Southeast District Division IV championship with a 2-1 win over Gallia Academy Tuesday.
LE will see if it can change its fortunes on Tuesday as the Braves lost both regular season matchups to the Falcons. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
Logan Elm 7 Wheelersburg 6 (9 innings)
May 26 202