Bulldogs Win NTC Baseball Tourney, WSS Takes Third

The Cougars jumped on the scoreboard first. Brody Markley led off with a single and Callaway Smith followed with a single. Colten Smith drew a walk to load the bases. Trevan Sidwell followed by also drawing a walk that scored Markley. A ground out double play got two Cougars off base but a second run scored.

St. Anthony's Brock Fearday singled in the first but was left stranded. The Bulldogs went up and down in the second inning.

But in the third frame, St. Anthony tied the score. Rogan Allen drew a walk to lead off the frame. With one out on the board on a strikeout, Will Fearday followed with a single. Brady Hatton reached on an error and the runners scored making it a 2-2 contest.

The Cougars had runners on base in the third and fourth but couldn't dent the plate.

In the fifth, the Bulldogs broke loose. W. Fearday led off the frame with a single and Hatton followed with a single. A fielder's choice on the next batter and a fly ball out saw two runs score. Sam Link got on base on an error and Henry Brant was hit by a pitch. There was another fielder's choice on a ball hit by Alex Mayer. A single by Allen brought a runner home. When the dust had settled, four runs crossed the plate and the Bulldogs led 6-2.

South Central went up and down in order in the fifth and sixth.

St. Anthony tallied two more runs in the sixth. W. Fearday was hit by a pitch and Hatton followed with his second single of the day. B. Fearday walked to load the bases. Aiden Lauritzen singled and brought two runs home and came home on a wild pitch. Link hit a sacrifice fly that scored the final run.

South Central mounted a comeback in the top of the seventh. Evan Hoover led off the frame with a single and Maddox Robb drew a walk. Zane Montes also drew a walk to load the bases. But the Bulldogs got out of the inning allowing only one runner to score. They got a runner on a fielder's choice and ended the game on a double play.

In the third place contest, Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg was an 8-1 winner over Altamont.

The Hatchets moved ahead 2-0 in the second inning. Ben Bridges started off by drawing a walk and then stole second. Carter Verdeyen also drew a walk and stole a base. Kendall Morris followed with an RBI single and stole second.

The Hatchets moved that to 3-0 with a run in the fourth. Altamont continued to have trouble on the mound as Blayzz Verdeyen drew a walk as did C. Verdeyen. A single by Kendall Morris scored a run  Bridges, C. Verdeyen and Morris all stole a base each.

Windsor/Stew-Stras added on a second run in the fourth. Once again walks came into play as B. Verdeyen led off with a walk and C. Verdeyen also followed with a walk. 

In the sixth, the Hatchets added four more runs. Morris led off the frame with a single and Grayson McCray followed with a walk. Wyatt Wetherell singled home a run as did Branson Tingley. Bridges followed with a single that drove in two runs and the Hatchets held a 7-0 lead.

The lead went to 8-0 in the seventh as C. Verdeyen drew a walk. Morris singled and  McCray singled home the run.

Altamont got on the scoreboard in the seventh as Keegan Schultz led off the frame with a home run. But the next three batters went down in order on two strikeouts and a ground out.

Gurgel went the distance on the mound for the Hatchets. He allowed one run on two hits, two walks and struck out eight.

At Beecher City

Championship

South Central                  200    000    1    --      3-4-4

St. Anthony                      002    044    0    --    10-9-0

WP -- B. Fearday. LP -- Ca. Smith.

South Central -- Markley, single; Ca. Smith, single; Sidwell, 1 RBI; Hoover, single; Robb, double; Shumate, 1 RBI

St. Anthony -- A. Fearday, 2 singles; Hatton, 2 singles; B. Fearday, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Lauritzen, single, 2 RBI; Link, 1 RBI; Mayer, single; Allen, single, 2 RBI

Third Place

WSS                        020    104    1    --    8-7-1

Altamont                000    000    1    --    1-2-2

WP -- Gurgel. LP -- Schultz.

Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg -- Tingley, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Bridges, single, 2 RBI; Morris, 2 singles; Manhart, single, 1 RBI; Morris, single, 1 RBI

Altamont -- Schultz, single, 1 RBI; McManaway, single