DECATUR -- After a two week delay, the Decatur varsity baseball team was finally able to play its first game of the 2017 season at Edmiston Baseball Field in Decatur April 7.
Two weeks earlier, the Bulldogs were ready to play their first game March 14 against rival Eureka Springs. A phone call early in the afternoon informed Decatur coach Jason Porter that the Eureka Springs baseball program had been canceled due to lack of interest. This gave the Bulldogs their first win of the season by default.
Then the rains caused flooding on the Edmiston Park Ball Field for two weeks, forcing the cancellation of the next three home games. Fortunately, city maintenance crews and volunteers worked on Saturday, April 1, getting the field into shape for the April 3 contest. But rain returned, dampening the field and forcing the cancellation of yet another game.
On April 5, the rain let up and the field began to dry. When game day rolled around, the field was nearly dry. Once again city workers performed their magic and the field was ready for the first and possibly the only home game of the season against the Omaha Eagles.
Jason Porter was on the mound for the Bulldogs. He pitched two and a half innings before relief pitcher Tommy Douglas finished the game.
The Bulldogs fell behind in the third inning and were never able to catch up. The Eagles took the victory, 13 to 3, in seven innings.
Decatur is now 1-1 in 1A conference play going into week four. The Bulldogs were to be on the road April 11 to take on the Jasper Pirates in a non-conference matchup in Jasper (after press time). Their second contest of the week will be a double-header against the Alpena Leopards in Harrison April 13. First game starts at 4 p.m. with the second after the conclusion of game 1.
For more information on the current baseball schedule or any makeup games, go to decatursd.com/athletics/baseball.
Sports on 04/12/2017