POLLOCK — Four shutouts in a row puts the Bulldogs in the catbird seat in the area round of the baseball playoffs and puts them ranked third in 1A.
The latest two wins came Thursday when Centerville downed Slocum 11-0 and 19-0.
In the first game, Kolt Larsen kept the Mustangs scoreless and gave up only one hit on the mound. He threw 11 strikeouts and gave up only 2 walks.
The Bulldogs combined for 10 hits, with Drew Larsen going 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs, and Brice Selman going 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs. Hardy Brown, Larsen, Wyatt Clede, Chris Fry and Brandon McWhorter all added hits in the effort.
In the second half of the doubleheader, Brown tossed 10 strikeouts in 4 innings and gave up only 3 hits and 1 walk to gain the win. Clede tossed an inning in relief, striking out 2 and giving up 1 walk.
At the plate, Brown and Larsen led the team with 2 hits apiece, combining for 3 RBIs. Larsen and McWhorter each had 2 RBIs with their lone hits. Selman and Eli Emmons added hits as well.
The Bulldogs face No. 4-ranked Chester in the area round matchup at Hudson High School on Friday, with Game 1 at 7 p.m. and Games 2 and 3 (if necessary) on Saturday starting at 2 p.m.
The Eagles racked up a pair of postseason wins over Martinsville, downing the Pirates 10-2 on Wednesday and 13-1 on Friday.
In Wednesday’s game, Tristen Eddings and Rance Howell each tallied a pair of hits, and Kayden Roden and Peyton Williams added hits, and Cooper Campbell notched a 3-run inside-the-park homer.
Howell picked up the win on the mound, throwing 8 strikeouts and giving up 2 hits and 5 walks. Roden came in on relief and tossed 3 strikeouts and gave up 1 walk.
On Friday, Campbell was in charge on both sides, winning on the mound with 7 strikeouts while giving up only 1 hit and 1 walk in his 3 innings. Eddings pitched 2 innings in relief, striking out 1 and walking 1.
Then at the plate, Campbell went 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs, and Eddings, Williams and Howell added 2 hits each. Angel Reyna, Drake Pierce and Ethan Leblanc each posted hits on the day.
The team also combined for 11 stolen bases.
Apple Springs now faces Wells in the area round beginning Thursday at Central High School; should both Apple Springs and Centerville win, they would face each other in the regional semifinal.
The Indians were eliminated from the playoffs after two losses to Garrison, losing 4-1 on Wednesday and a heartbreaking 12-11 on Thursday.
In the Wednesday game, Head Coach Cy Murphy said it was a quiet night at the plate, as Ty Torregrossa had the lone RBI and Blake Chaney had the lone hit. Cooper Shanafelt had a walk and came around to score the only run of the night.
Canyen Hollis started on the mound, and gave up 3 runs on 5 hits while throwing only 1 strikeout. Jasper Due threw 5 innings in relief, giving up one unearned run on one hit with 5 strikeouts, 2 walks, and 2 hit batters.
Murphy said Garrison walked off in the 7th to win Thursday’s game over Groveton 12-11.
Ty Torregrossa got walked twice and scored once.
Blake Chaney went 1-4 with a single, a walk, an RBI sac fly, and a run scored.
Gunner Wilson went 1-3 with a double, 2 walks, an RBI, and 3 runs scored.
Canyen Hollis got walked 3 times and scored twice.
Jasper Due got walked and scored once.
Jace Taylor went 1-2 with a single, 2 walks, a hit by pitch, an RBI, and a run scored.
Ethan Bowling had an RBI walk.
Jett Arbuckle came in to hit for Bowling and went 2-2 with 2 singles and an RBI.
Cooper Shanafelt went 1-2 with a double, 3 walks, an RBI, and a run scored.
Trystin Ard got walked once, got hit by a pitch twice, had an RBI, and scored once.
Torregrossa got the unfortunate loss on the mound in relief. He threw 5.1 innings, giving up 3 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits with 3 strikeouts, 2 walks, and hit a batter.
Murphy said what the numbers can't show is how hard the boys fought in both games, especially the second game.
“We went down 9-0 in the first inning, and the boys scratched and clawed their way back into the game before tying it in the top of the 7th,” he said. “That speaks volumes as to who they are not only as baseball players, but as men.
“Nobody ever wants it to come to an end, but I am extremely proud of every single one of them, and I am proud of what this unit accomplished this year,” Murphy said.
