| Extra innings required twice for Dawgs to sweep G'field |
By: Stephanie Sturgis - Press Sports Editor
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Stopping the Train — Greenfield catcher Brady Medling blocks the plate and applies the tag to Bulldog Alex Verdell Tuesday afternoon at Gleason. The Bulldogs rallied for an 8-7 win in eight innings after needing nine innings to win on Monday.
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Seven innings just wasn't enough for the Gleason Bulldogs and Greenfield Yellowjackets baseball teams to decide anything this week.
On Monday in Greenfield, the squads needed nine innings before Gleason, riding a superb pitching performances by junior right-hander Colin Bennett, earned a 4-2 victory.
Less than 24 hours later, the teams tangled again and eight innings were required before the Dawgs rallied for an 8-7 win.
Bennett was masterful on Monday, striking out 18 batters while going the full nine innings. He struck out all three batters he faced in the fifth and whiffed four Dawgs in an error-filled seventh. Bennett gave up just two hits, both first inning singles and walked three. The right-hander hurled a no-hitter against McKenzie on April 9.
Gleason loaded the bases in the top of the first with one out, but Jacket starter Cody Ricketts struck out two to end the threat.
In the third, Bulldog Cody Ezell singled and advanced to third but again Ricketts held Gleason off the scoreboard.
Greenfield took a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Ricketts drew a walk and eventually scored on a misplayed pickoff attempt.
Gleason returned the favor in the fifth. Bennett reached on an error and scampered home when a Greenfield pickoff went awry.
The Dawgs moved in front, 2-1, in the sixth when Chase Griffin led off with a single and scored on Evan Orr's double.
Greenfield waited until the seventh to forge a 2-all tie. An error on the catcher allowed Colin Medling to race all the way to second base. Two more errors and a walk allowed Medling to score the tying run.
In the top of the ninth, Bennett doubled and Matt James reached on an error. Both scored on a two-run double by Griffin for a 4-2 Gleason lead.
In the last Jackets at-bat, Bennett induced two grounders and finished with his 18th strikeout for a 4-2 Dawgs win.
Cody Ricketts and Dalton Potts combined to strikeout 16 Bulldogs in the loss.
On Tuesday, Greenfield jumped in front with a three-run first-inning homer by Medling.
Gleason got a run back in the home half of the first when Cody Ezell walked and scored on a James sacrifice fly.
The Dawgs added two more runs in the second. Matt Mayo singled and scored on an Orr RBI groundout. Alex Verdell reached on an error and scored on Ezell's triple for a 3-all tie..
Greenfield bounced back with three runs in the third inning by taking advantage of four walks and an error. Daniel Ricketts had an RBI single and scored as the Jackets led, 6-3.
It was Jacket wildness on the mound that allowed Gleason to add two runs in the fifth. Two walks, a hit batter and an error.
Greenfield added what it thought was an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Medling walked and scored on an error for a 7-5 lead.
The Dawgs forced extra innings with two runs in the seventh on a Mayo double followed by two walks, a hit batter and a sacrifice fly by Ezell. A baserunning error by the Dawgs and a heads-up play by Jacket catcher Brady Medling erased a Gleason runner at third base.
In the top of the eighth, the Jackets loaded the bases with two outs but couldn't get the clutch hit.
Gleason made them pay in the bottom of the eighth. Cody Ricketts plunked Zach Wallace with a pitch. Wallace stole second, leading to an intentional walk, and moved to third on a passed ball, leading to yet another intentional pass. With the bases loaded, Orr drew a walk to bring Wallace home with the winning run. |
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