Bulldawgs face must-win after wild loss in Belton
By TJ MAXWELL
Cove Leader-Press
BELTON – The Bulldawgs found themselves needing one final run to gain an edge in the chase for a playoff spot in District 8-6A and they appeared to have gotten it.
After a seventh-inning rally on five singles pulled the Bulldawgs within a run, senior Tyler Ingram appeared to slide in under the tag for the tying run after racing home on a passed ball. The home plate umpire, however, called him out to give Belton a narrow 5-4 victory and control of the fourth playoff spot.
Cove (6-7), Ellison (6-7) and Belton (7-6) all entered Tuesday’s contest in a three-way tie at 6-all for the final spot with San Angelo Central (10-3), Waco Midway (10-3), and Harker Heights (9-4) holding the top three spots.
Four consecutive singles from the top of the lineup in Michael Goudeau, Cameron Johnson, Colby Jost and Tyler Ingram juiced the bases and put one run across on the RBI single by Ingram.
After Johnson advanced home to cut the Belton lead to two, 5-3, Josh Ropple singled to centerfield to drive home Jost and get within one run with the tying run at third with just one out.
A dropped called third strike on Cedric Camacho rolled past Belton catcher John Taggart but a scramble and flip to pitcher Dylan Blomquist for the called tag on Ingram ended the Cove rally much to the dismay of the Cove players and fans in attendance.
Despite outhitting the Tigers 7-3 through the first five innings, the Bulldawgs found themselves in a 2-1 hole before a three-run bottom of the sixth inning made the hole even larger with just three outs remaining for the Bulldawgs.
A single by Belton’s Dylan Blomquist started the hits for Belton before a fielding error by Cove center fielder Austin Reneau allowed Kyle Hobbs to reach.
A sacrifice fly by Logan Earl scored Blomquist’s courtesy runner Holden Goldston for the first of three insurance runs that would prove costly before RBI singles by Peyton Vybiral and Trey Bell scored two more runs.
Breck Potvin would supply the eventual game-winning run on the Bell single for Belton after reaching on an intentional walk to load the bases with two outs. Hobbs scored on the Vyribal single.
The Bulldawgs doubled up the hits of Belton 13-6 in the contest and juiced the bases twice in the first four innings on eight hits but only managed one run while stranding seven runners.
A leadoff double by Goudeau and a bunt by Johnson put two runners on with no outs before Jost hit into a 4-3 double play to empty the base paths with Goudeau scoring and Johnson getting tagged before the throw to first. Ingram also singled in the inning but was left stranded.
Belton responded in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead. A leadoff walk by Potvin and a single by Bell; who led Belton with 3 for 3 with a double for a run, an RBI and was intentionally walked; resulted in the two Tiger runs on the two RBI double by Lutz.
Cove’s junior pitcher Johnson then settled down and retired 12 of the next 16 Belton batters to give his team a chance.
Johnson surrendered a double to Bell in the third and three walks (one intentional) in the fifth inning but managed to limit the damage until the three-run sixth inning for the Tigers.
Three consecutive two-out singles by Monquaverus Wingfield, Nick Izquierdo and Goudeau loaded the bases for Cove in the second inning before a strikeout on Johnson ended the Cove threat.
Cove loaded the bases again in the fourth inning with singles by Camacho and Goudeau and Izquierdo was hit by the pitch of Remington Lutz. The Cove threat was quelled on the fielder’s choice that put Goudeau out at second.
Goudeau was 3 for 4 with two runs and Wingfield was 2 for 3 to lead the Cove batters. Izquierdo (1 for 2), Johnson (2 for 4, R), Ingram (2 for 4), Jost (1 for 4, R), Ropple, (1 for 4, RBI) and Camacho (1 for 4) accounted for the remaining eight hits for Cove.
Vybiral (1 for 4, RBI), Lutz (1 for 4, 2RBIs) and Blomquist (1 for 1, R) accounted for the other hits behind Bell’s 3 for 3.
Lutz earned the win on the mound for Belton. He surrendered one earned run on eight hits while striking out five and walking one in five innings. Blomquist picked up the two-inning save despite surrendering three earned runs on five hits while striking out two.
Johnson suffered the loss for Cove. He surrendered five runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out five and walking five (two intentional) in 5 1/3 innings.
Everything s on the line tonight at the Dawgs host Belton for game two of the home-away series. A loss by Cove would remove them from playoff contention where a win would put Cove back in at least a two-way tie for the final spot; depending on the outcome of the Waco Midway/Ellison game.