Cougars Top Grayville
In Regional Championship
The Cougars climbed over one post-season hurdle with their 11-6 regional final win over the Grayville
Bison and will now advance to the next round of playoffs at the Kaskaskia Sectional.
Marcus Hicks battled his way through 5 2/3 innings to pick-up the win, but he had some help from teammates
Tanner Bushue and Wade Crain to close the deal.
Hicks (7-2) allowed all six runs on thirteen hits, one walk, and four strikeouts and when the Bison closed
to within one run in the sixth, Bushue came in to record the last out of the inning before Crain set them down in order in
the seventh.
Offensively, the Cougars jumped on the Grayville starter for four runs in their first at-bat.
Jayme Michel drew a one-out walk and Nick Simmons chased him home with a towering two-run homer down the line
in left that banged off the scoreboard.
Bushue then reached base on four straight balls and after Lance Schneider's grounder to short was overthrown
at first, the two Cougar baserunners ended up at second and third.
Bushue scampered home on a wildpitch to make it 3-0 and Schneider crossed the plate for the fourth run when
Will Crain laid down a perfect safety squeeze.
The Bison responded with three runs in the second, but the Cougars got after it again in their next at-bat.
Zac Cain led off with a single and courtesy runner Devin Hall scored from first on a double off the bat of
Wade Crain.
Michel followed with a single and after a wild pitch put runners at second and third, Crain trotted home on
yet another wild pitch from the Grayville hurler. The final run of the inning came when Bushue scored Michel from third on
a screaming line drive that was caught in left for a sacrifice fly.
The score remained 7-3 until the fifth when Bison pitcher Taylor Lynn scorched a long line drive to left-center
that bounced over the fence, but the umpires ruled it went over in the air to make it 7-4.
Grayville tacked on two more runs in the sixth when Bison hitter Travis Redisill stroked a two-run single
sending Hicks to the showers.
Enter Tanner Bushue. Facing the dangerous Taylor Lynn again, Bushue coaxed him into a one-hopper back to the
mound to end the threat.
Now leading by only a single run, the Cougars responded once again.
Cain singled for the third time to lead things off and after a pass ball found himself at second. After a Wade
Crain strikeout, Michel drew his second free pass of the game and a wild pitch later found them both in scoring position
at second and third.
Cain scored the first run when Simmons laid down a safety squeeze bunt and was then ruled safe at first when
the Bison pitcher muffed the fielding attempt.
Bushue made the Cougar faithfull breathe a little easier when he followed with a three-run blast to put the
Cougars up 11-6 with one at-bat to go for the Bison.
With the win, the Cougars now stand at 24-9 on the season and will play in sectional action next week against
the Greenville Comets.
