Bulldog Baseball Continues to Win as Postseason Approaches

The Hampton-Dumont-CAL Bulldogs are wrapping up the regular season and looking to climb the standing in the NCC race.  The Bulldogs will have to wait until Thursday June 29th to know their post-season pairing, but they are focused on continuing to play their best baseball and get healthy.  A week of rivalry games set the Bulldogs up for a tough final week of the season.  

The week would begin with a home game against the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Cowboys on Monday June 19th.  Both teams would start of strong scoring 2 runs in each of the first two innings.  The Bulldogs would add a fifth run in the third inning to take a 5-4 lead.  In the bottom of the 5th inning the Bulldogs would score 5 runs taking a commanding 10-4 lead.  The Cowboys would chip away before Brayden Johnson would come in and close the door.  The Bulldogs would win 10-8.  Dawson Wikert would pitch 4 innings with 9 strike outs and earn the win.  Austin Hanson would come in relief before Brayden Johnson would earn the save.  Valenzuela, Sackville, and Burmester would each have 2 hits, while Valenzuela and Burmester would each drive in 2 runs.  

Tuesday would see the Bulldogs face off with rival West Fork.  The Bulldog bats would show up early scoring 4 runs in the first two innings, before the Warhawks would get on the board in the 3rd.  The Bulldogs would add a run in 3rd and 4th to take a 6-3 lead.  The Warhawks would make it interestin, but would come up short with the Bulldogs earning a 6-4 win.  Brody Robertson would start the game for the Bulldogs and pitch 6 innings with 5 strikeouts and earn the win.  The win would be Robertson’s first career varsity win. Tucker Heeren would come in the 7th inning to pick up the save, striking out the side.  Dawson Wikert and Taylor Mahler would each have two hits for the Bulldogs.  Kyle Helmke would drive in 2 runs for the Bulldogs.  The victory would push the Bulldogs record to 12-10.

Wednesday would be an NCC matchup with big conference implications on the line.  Brayden Johnson would take the mound for H-D-CAL and the bats would get going early, scoring 2 runs in the first inning.  Algona would answer with 4 runs in the next four innings to take a 4-2 lead.  H-D-CAL would rally in the sixth and cut the lead to 4-3, but would not be able to push another run across and would fall 4-3.  Johnson would pitch the full game striking out 7 batters, giving up 2 earned runs.  Valenzuela would get 2 hits and steal 2 bases.

Friday the Bulldogs would wrap up the week with a home game against the Iowa Falls-Alden Cadets.  The Bulldogs would jump out to a big lead scoring 7 runs in the first inning and would ultimately win the game 11-1 in 5 innings.  Tucker Heeren would start on the mound for the Bulldogs and earn the victory striking out 4 batters in 4 innings pitched.  Tommy Birdsell would return to the mound for the Bulldogs and pitch an inning in relief.  Wikert and Burmester would each have 2 hits for the Bulldogs.  The victory would push the Bulldogs record to 13-11 overall and 6-6 in the NCC.  

The Bulldogs return to action Monday with a trip to Fort Dodge to face off with St. Edmonds.  Tuesday they host ninth ranked Ballard Bombers.  Wednesday will be youth night against Clear Lake and all youth baseball players get into the game for free and are encouraged to wear their jersey.  Thursday will be the final regular season home game for the Bulldogs against the Saydel Eagles.  This will also be when the Bulldogs find out their post season destination.  Friday will wrap up the regular season and NCC with a trip to Webster City.