JUCO Baseball: Logan sweeps SIC

Superb pitching propelled the John A. Logan College baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of Southeastern Illinois Thursday, 10-0 in the opener and 5-0 in the nightcap.

Earning the first-game win was sophomore righthander Ryan Dunne. The Peoria native checked the Falcons on three hits through seven innings. He struck out 11 and walked four.

Dunne (4-3) said he felt like all his pitches were working well for him.

Peyton Cypress worked a scoreless eighth. The game was shortened due to the 10-run rule.

A pair of Tylers - Robertson and Horchem - led the Vols' attack with three hits each.

Logan, now 15-8 in the Great Rivers Athletic Conference and 21-14 overall, scored all the runs it would need in the first inning off SIC starter Allen Montgomery of Johnston City.

The Vols tallied five runs in that initial frame, highlighted by a three-run double off the bat of Robertson. Kevin Melton relieved Montgomery in the second inning and did a respectable job, limiting Logan to five runs over the next seven innings.

Lending an assist to Robertson and Horchem were Jeff Hahs, Kyle Schneider, and Jake Carpenter with two hits each.

In Game 2, Vols' starter Joey Marciano was lights out, tossing a complete-game shutout. The big lefty surrendered only two hits, while striking out nine and walking two.

Logan scored two runs in the second inning. Robertson walked and stole second. With two outs, Carpenter delivered an RBI single. He then stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on an RBI single from Doug Parks.

The Vols tacked on a run in the third on a double by Hahs and RBI single by Horchem. They added a run in the fifth on another RBI single from Horchem, driving in Culver Plant, who had singled. And they notched one final run in the sixth when Schneider tripled and came around to score on a wild pitch.

Schneider and Horchem led the offense with two hits apiece. For the day, Logan banged out 25 hits.

Vols head coach Jerry Halstead was pleased with his team's performance.

"Our pitching was tremendous today," he said. "Ryan Dunne had seven shutout innings as did Joey Marciano. When you get that kind of pitching and throw some offense in there, you have a pretty good chance to win."

Halstead said Robertson has picked up his game.

Logan will wrap up the three-game series with Southeastern at noon today in Carterville with a single game.