DECATUR -- The Decatur High School baseball team continues to win, defeating Eureka Springs and Union Christian. But the team faltered during the JC Westside game on Wednesday.
Coming off a big win against Watts, Okla., on March 29 in their season opener, the Bulldogs hoped to begin the conference season in the same fashion.
Jay Porter was on the mound for Decatur, with Hector Aguilar behind the plate as catcher during the Eureka Springs game played April 4 at Edmiston ball field in Decatur.
Porter allowed only two base hits in the top of the first inning before a strike out sent the Highlanders to the field. In the bottom of the first, the entire Bulldog lineup scored to take a commanding 9-0 lead going into the top of the second. The only Eureka Springs score came on a trap between third base and home. Aguilar and third baseman Troy Flood had the Highlander runner caught between the bases when Aguilar overthrew the ball, allowing the runner to come home. The Bulldogs would earn 9 more runs until time ran out in the game, giving Decatur its first conference victory, 18 to 1.
It was a different story, though, when the Johnson County Westside Rebels came to town on April 6. Several errors by the Bulldogs allowed the Rebels to take a 10-point lead at the end of the second inning. Jay Porter was on the mound and struggled to get the ball over the plate. Troy Flood relieved Porter in the top of the third inning. He too had trouble with his throw. Tyler Riddle came to the mound and finished the game with the Rebels, but the Bulldogs lost, 19 to 1, for their first loss of the season.
In a make-up game from March 31, the Union Christian Eagles came to Edmiston Field April 8 for the third conference game of the season. Porter once again was at the plate for the Bulldogs, with Aguilar behind home plate as catcher.
The Eagles managed to get two runs on the scoreboard in the top of the first. This lead was short lived as Decatur brought four runs home to take a 4-2 lead going into the top of second.
Union Christian made several attempts at bunting in the second. Quick reaction by Flood from third base delivered the ball to Alex Lee for outs. The Eagles never attempted to bunt again.
The game went back and forth until the bottom of the sixth when the Bulldogs pulled ahead by one. In the top of the seventh and final inning Union Christian had the chance to regain the lead. With the Bulldogs three outs away from another victory, a long fly ball was hit deep into left field to David Lopez who ran for the ball and caught it for out one. Another ball was hit to left and was again caught by Lopez for out number two. With only an out left, Union Christian managed a base hit to put the tying run on. One more long fly ball was launched into left field and right into Lopez' glove for the final out and the third victory for Decatur.
The Bulldogs are now 2 and 1 in conference and 3 and 1 overall, one of the best starts in several years and the best since Jason Porter, baseball coach, came to Decatur in 2013.
"This is the hardest that I have had a group play and work in one game," Porter said. "They could have hung their heads after UC gained the lead. But they stayed in it and finished them off in the end. I was really proud and excited at the same time."
Jay Porter summed it all up after the game from a player's perspective: "We woke up from Wednesday's game (loss to JC Westside) and played differently," Jay Porter said. "We showed that we could stay in a tight game."
Decatur played its final home game at Edmiston ball field April 11 against the Magazine Rattlers. The Bulldogs begin their four game road trips in Springdale against the Shiloh Christian freshmen team April 12, followed by the Hackett Hornets April 14. The regular season finishes up with the Dragons in Mountainburg April 18 and Hartford April 21. The district tournament begins April 27, place and time to be announced. All games start at 4 p.m.
Sports on 04/13/2016