PONY (13-14)
The Piedmont Raptors and Piedmont Bulldogs matched up well during the first double header of the season on Sunday March 28 at the PHS Humphries Baseball Field.
The first game started out with the Raptors nailing 8 hits in a row to get them 3 runs in the top of the first inning. Brandon Dicke opened the bottom of the first for the Bulldogs with a base hit, a stolen base and 1 run. The Bulldogs then held the Raptors to only 1 hit in the top of the second inning to keep the score at 3-1. The Bulldogs tied it up at the end of the second inning.
In the third inning, the Bulldogs turned a double play. But at bat, their first 3 batters got struck out by Raptors pitcher Nick King. The Raptors pulled ahead with four runs in the fourth and three runs in the fifth. The Bulldogs could only score one run in both innings, highlighted by a huge hit from Jordan Vo that hit the right field fence. The Bulldogs were able to hold the Raptors to only one more run in the sixth and seventh, but they couldn’t catch up due to Nick King’s continued strong pitching with six strikeouts. The Raptors won the first game, 11-5.
After fueling up with pizza, the boys started their second game with Bulldogs away and Raptors home. The Bulldogs opened with two runs scored by Daniel Weiland and Brandon Dicke. The great pitching of Jonny Lee from the Raptors and Brandon Dicke from the Bulldogs kept the game at 2-0 until the fourth inning, when Brandon Dicke pulled through with one more run for the Bulldogs in the fourth inning.
In the top of the fifth, Caius Holmes got a base hit to bring in a run to put the Bulldogs up by 4. But the Raptors answered with four runs scoring in the bottom of the fifth. In the last inning, the Raptors held the Bulldogs to one run, and won the game with Connor Carrington knocking in a run in the seventh inning for a final score of 6-5.
MUSTANG (9-10)
The Ghosts beat the Renegades 4-1 with a late 4th inning comeback. The Renegades took a 1-0 lead in the 1st inning, with Teddy Lee’s RBI single sending Jack Dahling across the plate. The game was a pitching showcase–14 strikeouts by both teams. The Renegades held onto their 1-0 lead through 3 scoreless innings, with pitchers Henry Van Den Bos, Graham Smith, Jack Dahling, and Teddy Lee all striking out multiple batters. Pitcher Aaron Bornstein turned a double play in the 5th to get out of a sticky situation. The tide turned for the Ghosts in the 4th inning, with Gael Fierro hustling for an inside-the-park solo home run, tying the game at 1. A bases loaded walk in the 5th led to the Ghosts taking the lead, and they held it. Ghosts pitchers kept a lid on Renegades scoring, only allowing 3 hits and not a single walk. Three Ghosts pitchers–Aidan Shartsis, Gael Fierro and Will Harris–recorded 3 or more strikeouts each.