Meridian, MS - The Logan Volunteer baseball program opened the 2020 campaign with a doubleheader sweep over NJCAA D2 #20 Meridian CC, holding on to take game 1, 7-6 and taking game 2, 10-2. The Vols will look to improve on their 2-0 start when they take on Meridian CC again for another noon doubleheader on Sunday.
Game one saw a strong start on the mound from Sophomore Luke Seed. The Louisville signee, would go 4 innings, while not giving up a hit, and striking out 8, picking up his first win of the season. The Vols would strike first offensively with a Cameron Langston 2-out 2-RBI double in the 2nd. Ryan Ritter would keep things going in the 3rd with an RBI single pushing the Vols lead to 3-0. Meridian would fight back in the 5th against the Vols bullpen collecting 3 runs, cutting the Vols lead to 4-3. Logan would not let the game stay close for a long, when Ritter would step into double down the right field line pushing the the lead up to 6-3. Ryan Hampe would come up next and knock in Ritter, making it 7-3. MCC would make another run in the 7th, putting the tying run at second and winning run at first, but Dawson Taylor would strikeout the final batter of the game to cement the 7-6 victory. Cameron Langston and Ethan English would lead the offense charge collecting three hits apiece.
Game two saw the Vols jump out to an early lead and then explode late to push the game out of reach en route to the 10-2 victory. Logan saw their first three batters of the game reach with Hampe singling home Tyler Acosta to draw first blood, Drew Winters would start his big day with a 2-out RBI single making 2-0 after a half inning. MCC would scratch one across in the 2nd, but the Vols would answer with scoring at least one run in each of the 4th through the 7th innings. With the big blow coming from a Drew Winters 3-run bomb in the 7th making it 10-2. Vols starter Andrew Hoffmann (1-0) went a strong 5 innings giving up 1 earned run (2 total runs) on three hits, while striking out 10 and not walking a batter. Winters led the offense charge with a 3-4 with 4 RBI and 2 runs scored effort. Cody Jansen would hit his first homer of the season with his pinch hit big fly in the 6th.
After the doubleheader on Sunday, the Vols will be back in action again the following weekend when the Vols travel to Wadley, AL for the Southern Union Invitational, starting on Friday, February 14.