Carbondale, IL - The Logan Volunteers took down Lincoln Trail 8-2 on Thursday night to open Great Rivers Athletic Conference play. The game was played under the lights at Itchy Jones Stadium, after a overnight storm put the Logan outfield soggy and unplayable. The Vols improve to 16-3 on the year after the victory and 1-0 in GRAC play. Logan will look to take the series from Lincoln Trail when they travel to Robinson on Saturday for a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for noon.
The game got off to an ominous start for the Vols with the first two Statesman batters reaching via walk, but Logan starter Jeffrey Purnell would limit the damage to only a single run. In the bottom half the Vols would tie the game at one when Hunter Sullivan would hit a 1-out solo inside-the-park homerun. The Vols bats would start to push the game out of reach in the middle innings, plating three in the 3rd, one in the 4th, and two in the 6th. Hunter Sullivan led the way with a 4-5, 3-RBI and two run scored day. Trent Shelby would put together a two hit day himself.
Purnell (3-0) would settle in after that rough 1st, only allowing two hits and one more run while striking out 10 over his seven innings of work and picking up his third victory of the season. Andrew Zenner would collect the final six outs in relief of Purnell, giving up a hit and a walk in his two innings of scoreless work.