DECATUR -- It looked like another blowout as Mountainburg chalked up four runs in the top of the first inning April 20 when Decatur High School's baseball team returned home to take on the Mountainburg Dragons at Edmiston ball field. The Bulldogs struggled in the bottom of the first and only managed to get one on base.
The Dragons added another run on a Decatur error in the second to make it 5 to 0. But Decatur came alive in the bottom of the inning when Ryan Shaffer, who was walked by the Dragon pitcher, crossed the plate on a Chuck Wofford single for the Bulldogs' first run. The Bulldogs continued the momentum when Wofford, Joey Barnes, Jesse Bruce and Marck Guadarrama all crossed the plate, tying the game at 5 all. Decatur would score one more run in the bottom of the fourth, but Mountainburg picked up three more runs in the fifth and sixth innings to make it a 9-6 Mountainburg win.
Funk started for Decatur and had four strikeouts with the loss, Jay Porter closed with four strikeouts as well.
The Bulldogs returned to Edmiston Park April 23 to take on the Hartford Hustlers in a very unusual game. Jay Porter was on the mount for the Bulldogs.
During the top of the first inning, a pitch got away from catcher Brody Funk. Porter covered home plate as a Hartford runner tried to make it home. As the runner reached home plate, Porter leaned over, expecting the runner to slide. Instead the runner stood up and plowed into Porter just before crossing the plate. Porter made the tag before being knocked down hard. He sustained a small cut to his head but was cleared to continue pitching. The Hartford player was ejected from the game for failure to yield after the play and Hartford failed to score in the top of the first.
In the bottom of the first, Decatur managed to load the bases and eventually bring home five runs before the end of the inning. Decatur scored three more runs in the bottom of the third, making it an 8-0 game.
Hartford scored its first run in the top of the fifth but the Bulldogs matched it in the bottom of the inning when Porter crossed. Hartford scored once again in the top of the sixth, making it a 9-to-2 Decatur ball game.
The Bulldogs were 2 and 6 with one more game scheduled against Lincoln on Monday.
Jay Porter pitched five innings and struck out eight. Joey Barnes pitched two innings and struck out two.
The Lady Bulldogs' softball game against Mountainburg April 20 was canceled due to muddy field conditions at Edmiston Park. They resumed play April 23 against Hartford at Edmiston and were defeated, 10 to 0.
Sports on 04/29/2015