Foster Keys Black Team to 7-0 Win

Lincoln — Logan Foster drove in three runs while three pitchers combined on a two-hit shutout, as the Black team opened the final week of fall drills with a 7-0 victory over the Red squad Wednesday afternoon. 

Foster, a transfer from Texas A&M who sat out last season, sparked the Black team’s attack with a pair of run-scoring hits, finishing 2-for-3 with a trio of RBI. Foster capped a three-run first inning with a two-out double before knocking out Red starter Chance Hroch with a two-out, two-run single in the third. 

That was more than enough for freshman Braxton Bragg, who scattered one hit in three-plus innings of shutout ball for the win. Relievers Ethan Bradford and Chat Hayes combined for three innings of one-hit ball, as the Red only got two runners into scoring position in the six-inning contest. 

“It was a complete game from the black team today,” Bolt said. “We found some holes with ground balls, but I thought we took some exceptional swings and played really good defense. I didn’t think Bragg was as sharp as we’ve seen him, but he made the pitches when he needed to. I thought Bradford came out of the bullpen ready to go and has showed some things as the fall as gone along. It was also good to see Hayes come in and throw strikes, which is what you need to do in a 7-0 game.”

The Black team took control in the bottom of the first, as Brice Matthews singled before Spencer Schwellenbach slapped a single through the right side, putting runners on the corners. Leighton Banjoff’s RBI plated Matthews, while Schwellenbach scored on a double play. Foster made it 3-0 moments later with his RBI double.

“I told the team that I thought the game turned in the first, as Schwellenbach was jammed on a run-and-hit and found a way to hit it through in a competitive spot,” Bolt said. “That set up the whole inning.”

Two innings later, the Black team threated as an infield single, walk and wild pitch put runners on second and third with no outs. Hroch struck out the next two hitters and was poised to get out of a jam, but Foster singled through the right side, clearing the bases and extending the margin to 5-0. 

“Logan has put a lot of work in on using the middle of the field and we saw that today in those two RBI spots,” Bolt said. “I thought his hit in the third was the back breaker because Hroch had battled back and was in a position to get out of the inning without any damage.”

Hroch allowed five runs in 2.2 innings to suffer the loss.

The Black team threatened in the fourth with runners on second and third with no outs before Matthews’ sacrifice bunt plated a run before Schellenbach, who went 3-for-3 and scored twice, delivered an base hit to make it 7-0.