Having lost to Stratford the first game of the season, the Bulldogs were chomping at the bit to get another chance at the Spartans. Their efforts were rewarded with a hard-fought 7-6 victory, winning in dramatic fashion on SS Ryan Dalton’s walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh.

Making his first start of the year, Erik Schweiger took the hill for the Bulldogs and pitched an effective three innings, allowing two runs on three hits. He also helped himself with some run support in the first. A leadoff walk to 2B Barrett Barnes, a single by CF Daniel Rockett, and a passed ball got the first run home for the Bulldogs. Then with two outs, Schweiger launched a two-run homer, his fourth of the weekend, to make the score 3-1 in the bottom of the first.

The Bulldogs added a run each of the next two innings. A leadoff walk to C Matt Hills, a sacrifice bunt by 3B Luke Mulcahey, and an RBI single by DH Drew Miller scored a run in the second. A leadoff walk to Dalton, a single by LF Blake Doerr, and an RBI groundout by RF Eric Hughes put the Bulldogs up 5-2 after three.

Daniel Rockett took over the pitching duties in the fourth, and had a 1-2-3 inning to start. He ran into some trouble in the fifth, as the Spartans tied the score at 5 with three unearned runs on one hit and a couple of tough errors. Rockett got one of those runs back himself with a leadoff homer in the bottom in the inning, but the Spartans countered with a leadoff homer of their own in the top of the sixth.

That would be the end of the offense for the Spartans, as Rockett ended up striking out the side in the sixth, and notching two more strikeouts in the seventh. That set the stage for a dramatic finish, as Ryan Dalton, leading off the bottom of the seventh, hit the 0-1 pitch over the left field wall for a home run and the 7-6 win.

With the win, the Bulldogs took third place in the Ewell Jackson Tournament, and gave District 23-5A a sweep of the top three places, as Dulles and Elkins played each other in the finals. Ryan Dalton and Erik Schweiger were named all-tournament selections for their efforts this weekend.

Bulldog Offensive Highlights:

· 8 hits for the Bulldogs, including 3 HRs: HR and a single for both CF/P Daniel Rockett and SS Ryan Dalton; 2 singles for LF Blake Doerr; HR for P/1B Erik Schweiger; and a single for DH Drew Miller.

· 6 RBIs on the game: 2 for Schweiger; 1 each for Rockett, Dalton, RF/CF Eric Hughes, and Miller.

Bulldog Pitching Highlights:

· Erik Schweiger, 3 innings, 2 BB’s, 1 HPB, 3 hits, 2 earned runs.

· Daniel Rockett (1-0), 4 innings, 2 BB’s, 5 K’s, 3 hits, 4 runs, 1 earned run.

Bulldog Defensive Highlights:

· A hit up the middle turns into a 6-3 putout, SS Dalton to 1B Schweiger, for the last out in the fourth.

· 3B Anthony DeJesus makes a great play for the 5-3 putout for the last out in the fifth.

Winning Pitcher: Daniel Rockett (1-0)

Losing Pitcher: Kevin Hahn

Extra Base Hits, Stratford: HR – Reed; 2B Mitchell; GR2B - Benninger

Extra Base Hits, FBA: HR – Rockett, Dalton, Schweiger

Score by inning:

Submitted by: Tom Miller