Bulldogs split with Sharks

The Marianna High School baseball team traveled to Port St. Joe Tuesday afternoon and left the field with a 1-1 split with the Sharks.

In Game One, pitching was the key, with the Bulldogs holding the Sharks to just one run while the Bulldogs plated five to make it a 5-1 victory. Game Two was a slugger’s duel, with Port St. Joe coming out on top 9-7.

In the first game of the doubleheader, Dylan Halstead started on the mound for the Bulldogs, going one inning with one unearned run on no hits, no walks and one error committed behind him.

Michael Mader came on for the next three innings, giving up no runs on one hit, no walks, one error while striking out four. Zack Smith came in for the final inning, allowed no runs on one hit with one error in the field.

In Game Two, Jae Elliott started on the mound for the Bulldogs, going two innings, allowing four runs on three hits, two walks and striking out two. Shayne Blanton came on in the third inning, giving up five runs on two hits, three walks, with one error in the field. Bradly Middleton closed out the game in the final inning, giving up no runs with no hits and one hit batsman.

Marianna jumped out to a four-run, first inning lead in the first game. J. T. Meadows drew a lead off walk and quickly stole second. Brandon Burch doubled to score Meadows, with Halstead taking one for the team, putting runners at first and second.

Smith hit into a fielder’s choice, getting Halstead at second before Paul Gochenaur sent one to right field to score Burch. With two outs, Tyler Hampton reached on an error at second that allowed Smith to score. A walk to Taylor Strauss went for nil as Hampton was picked off trying to steal home to end the inning.

Ty Partin led off in the second inning with a walk, but was caught in a rundown between first and second with two strikeouts following to end the inning with no runs crossing the plate.

Marianna added their final run in the third inning. With one out, Halstead drew a walk and moved to third on single by Smith. Gochenaur picked up two RBIs on his second hit of the game, but was out trying to take second. Cameron Oliver drew a walk, but the inning ended when Clayte Rooks, running for Oliver, was caught in a rundown.

The next six batters for Marianna were retired.

In the top of the first inning of Game Two, Middleton led off taking one for the team and moved to third on a double by Rooks. Heath Roberts hit into a fielder’s choice that got Middleton trying for home. Roberts was then out on an attempted steal of second, before Halstead flied out to the shortstop.

Marianna plated their first run in the second inning when Smith took first after being hit by a pitch. Adam DeWitt singled to put runners at first and second, but a fielder’s choice by Mader got Smith at third. DeWitt and Mader both moved up on the base pads on a wild pitch, with DeWitt scoring on a ground out to second by Shayne Blanton. A strikeout ended the inning.

The Dogs plated three runs in the third inning to make it a 4-1 game. With one out, Jay Phelps drew a walk and moved to second with two outs on a single by Jae Elliot Clayte Rooks then stroked a two RBI triple before Middleton took advantage of a Shark error to reach first, and pick up an RBI scoring Rooks. A ground out ended the inning.

A walk to Paul Gochenaur in the fourth and a single by Oliver put runners at first and second with two outs, but a ground out ended the inning with no runs scoring.

Down 9-4 in the top of the final inning, the Dogs rallied with three runs, but fell short of a comeback. With one out, Elliott drew a walk, and moved to second when Godwin reached on an error in left field to put runners at the corners. Rooks then singled home a pair of runs before consecutive walks to Mader and DeWitt plated an additional run. A ground out to the mound ended the inning and the game.

The Bulldogs will be competing in two tournaments this weekend, with one starting on Thursday in Bozeman and ending Sunday. The other starts on Friday in Chipley and ends Sunday.