Bulldogs bow out to No. 9 Boone

BOONE – A promising start quickly wilted in the summer heat as the Bulldog baseball team ended a COVID-19 shortened season with an 8-1 loss to Class 3A No. 9 Boone on Friday, July 17.

Coach Matt Lokenvitz’s team jumped on the Toreadors for a run in the first inning and after that it was all Boone as Hampton-Dumont bowed out at 6-10.

The Bulldogs went with freshman Brayden Johnson who gave up all eight runs, five of which were earned. He appeared a bit nervous before play started.

“Maybe a little bit (nervous),” Lokenvitz said of Johnson. “He was out there, throwing hard, they don’t score in the first inning if we don’t throw over the head of the third baseman. We had two outs, they try a steal and we throw into left field and they score a run.

“Same story for us, some of our own mental mistakes, our own inexperience and youthfulness, I guess. I mean, we’re just learning the game. I started a bunch of freshmen, some sophomores, a few juniors. We had one senior out on the field here tonight, so we’re just trying to really understand how that all works.”

Marco Guerrero hit a one-out single to right, and after Mario De La Cruz was hit with a pitch, Benji Sauke, who was 2-for-3, doubled to right to score Guerrero. He was caught stealing to end the inning.

Compounding errors were two home runs by Boone designated hitter Sam Freund, a two-run shot in the second and a three-run blast in the third that provided the Toreadors their firepower.

Lokenvitz attributed part of that to the short porch in right field.

“He put good swings on them, when you’re Brayden and supplying all of the power, all he has to do is barrel one up and it’s going to go on him,” Lokenvitz said. “The bunt they had and no one was over here to cover. A freshman throws to nobody. Another error that scores another run, we hold the runner when we try to score in that inning, different things, it is what it is – they are the number (9) rated team in the state. They are a good team and they are there for a reason. They get the No. 2 seed and get to host for a reason. They’ve got those two really good pitchers…”

After Luis Flores came on in relief, he held Boone to just one hit, a pair of walks and hit a batter the rest of the way, allowing no runs. But, Boone starter Morgan Smith, who had hit his stride in the middle innings, struck out seven, four in a row from the third to the fourth innings and five out of six before he was relieved in the sixth.

“I thought he (Johnson) did okay,” Lokenvitz said. “Still walked a few too many guys, I didn’t like that, but then Luis came in and did a good job, kept them where they were at and controlled everything and gave us a chance to try to stay in and win the game. It’s just our bats went cold after the first inning and couldn’t do much after that.”

The Bulldogs attempted to get something started in the seventh after Jordan Severs was hit with a pitch, but three straight fielder’s choice outs ended the season.

“That’s baseball, a foot here, a foot there and then those are different scenarios,” Lokenvitz said. “We had that in the middle innings when we had two hit right up the middle and he just barely snow cones one and then flips one up to himself. We couldn’t do anything with that bleeder in left field. If you go and he catches the ball, then you are doubled up. You sit back, you are doubled up. It’s tough, it’s baseball.”

Boone advanced with a 12-4 record to face Webster City on Monday, July 20.

Lokenvitz was just glad that his team was able to finish out the season.

“(We) made it through,” Lokenvitz said. “There are a lot of schools that didn’t, including the No. 1 team in the state (in 4A), so it’s one of those things. Knoxville didn’t make it through. We had schools in our (conference). Iowa Falls that didn’t get to play until the end and then St. Ed’s was out for a while. We had players in our conference who were out with quarantine.

“(Senior) Drew (Uhlenhopp) was obviously out on quarantine, wasn’t here. He would have helped us the last week and a half. He had a close contact that tested positive (and though) his test was negative, he had to be quarantined and then had to be away from the team. At one point, I had six people who had to be away from the team because of one thing or another. It was a tough year, an interesting year. Ultimately, we were here playing baseball and baseball doesn’t change. We’ll bring back roughly the same team that we had out here tonight in the last couple games here and hopefully we’ll get a little bit better.”

Boone 8, Hampton-Dumont 1

H-D               100   000   0     -    1     4     4

Boone          143   000   x     -    8     7     1

Winning battery– Morgan Smith, Matthew Mills (6) and Dylan Bangs. Losing battery – Brayden Johnson, Luis Flores (3) and Cal Heeren. Two or more hits– H-D (Benji Sauke); B (Sam Freund, Nick Rose). 2B– H-D (Sauke); B, None;. HR– H-D, None; B (Freund 2). SAC– None. SB– H-D, None; B (Tegan Bock 3, Bangs, Mills, Rose). HBP– H-D (Mario De La Cruz, Jordan Severs); B (Mills). RBI– H-D (Sauke); B (Freund 5).