Bulldogs get first win of season

HAMPTON—- There was some drama at the end but the Hampton-Dumont-CAL Bulldogs baseball team earned their first win of the season after defeating the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Cowboys 8-4 on May 29. The Bulldogs are now 1-7 on the year. The Bulldogs entered the top of the seventh inning up 8-1 but the Cowboys made the Bulldogs work for the final three outs as they were able to load the bases and got three runs to score thanks to multiple hit by pitches, but the Bulldogs were able to hang on for the win.

The Bulldogs jumped out to a fast start by taking a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The Cowboys scored one run in the top of the second to make it 4-1 but the Bulldogs responded with a run of their own to make it 5-1. The Bulldogs then added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth and one run in the bottom of the sixth to make it 8-1.

Hampton-Dumont-CAL had 10 hits in the game and forced five walks, Cael Burmester led the team with four hits including two doubles, Dawson Wikert and Jaxon Moats also added two hits each, with both of Moats hits also being doubles. Brody Robertson and Carson Helmke both added one hit each. Moats led the team with three RBIs and Burmester added two RBIs, Wikert and Taylor Mahler had one RBI each. Brody Walton led the team with three walks and Jaymes Stevens added two walks. 

On the mound Wikert pitched 6.1 innings and struck out nine batters while allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks. Camden Peil pitched 0.1 innings and hit three batters and Moats pitched 0.1 innings and got the final out.

The Bulldogs also went 1-1 at the Lake Mills tournament on June 1. The team lost their first game to St. Ansgar 2-0 where St. Ansgar scored both runs in the top of the third inning. The Bulldogs had four hits in the game, Brody Walton led the team with two hits, Blaek Burmester, and Brody Robertson both had one hit each. The Bulldogs also forced five walks in the game, Jakob Rodriguez had a team high two walks, Blaek Burmester, Dawson Wikert, Cael Burmesterall recorded one walk each. Pitching wise, Jaxon Moats pitched six innings and struck out four batters while giving up two runs on six hits and two walks.

In the second game, the Bulldogs defeated Northwood-Kensett 17-7 and the Bulldogs improved to 2-8 on the year. The Bulldogs trailed 4-0 after the top of the first inning, but scored one run in the bottom of the first to make it 4-1. The Bulldogs then took the lead thanks to five runs in the second inning to make it 6-4. Hampton-Dumont-CAL added three runs in the third inning to make it 9-4. Northwood-Kensett got a little closer by scoring three runs in the top of the fourth inning, but the Bulldogs responded by scoring six runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it 15-7 and added two more insurance runs in the fifth inning to make it 17-7. The Bulldogs had 11 hits in the game, Walton, Robertson, and Cael Burmester all recorded two hits each. Wikert, Carson Helmke, Rodriguez, Moats, and William Vosburg all added one hit each. Walton and Blaek Burmester both had two walks each. Robertson, Cael Burmester, Jaymes Stevens, and Rodriguez all had one walk each.

Pitching wise, Robertson pitched one inning and struck out one batter while giving up three runs on four hits and two walks, Helmke pitched 1.1 innings and struck out three batters, and Vosburg pitched 2.2 innings and struck out four batters while giving up three runs on two hits and five walks.

The team’s next game is on June 5 at St. Edmond, at 7:30 p.m.