'Dogs Lose Pair

Brookfield was on the short end of a pair of season-opening home varsity baseball games on Saturday. The Bulldogs fell to Trenton, 11-5, in the opener, and dropped a 5-4 decision to Green City in the nightcap.

The Bulldogs got off to a good start in the first game's opening frame, as starting pitcher Riley Hinckle worked around a one-out double, keeping Trenton off the board. Colton Parn reached on an error to start the Bulldogs' first, and Trayce Switzer followed with a double to right. Peyton Parn then laced a liner to center, plating both baserunners for a 2-0 lead.

Trenton answered in the second, scoring five runs on four hits and a walk, bookended by a pair of errors. The Bulldogs were set down in order in the next two innings, before Trenton added four more runs in the fourth, courtesy of two singles and a pair of doubles.

The 'Dogs loaded the bases in their half of the fourth, with the help of two hit batters and a walk, but Hinckle's line drive to right was snared for the final out. They loaded the bases again in the fifth, and scored two runs on balks.
Trenton added a pair of runs in the sixth, and Peyton Parn's RBI groundout scored Colton Parn, who had tripled to start the inning, for the final margin.

Peyton Parn was 2-of-4 with 3 RBI and a run scored, while Colton Parn (3B, 2 runs) and Switzer (2B, run) each collected a hit, and Hayden DeJong added a run and two walks for the Bulldogs. Switzer allowed 8 earned runs on 11 hits, while striking out four. Bryson Shoop pitched a scoreless sixth.

Green City opened the second game, scoring a run on an error, passed ball and sacrifice fly. The 'Dogs answered with Trayce Switzer's sac fly, scoring Colton Parn, who tripled for the second time on the day.

The Gophers tacked on three more runs in the next frame, getting the first two batters on via an error and a walk. A caught stealing and a groundout had the Bulldogs an out away from getting out of trouble; however, the Gophers scored two with a single and triple, and added the third on another error.

The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the third on a pair of walks and an error, but could only muster one run on Hayden DeJong's groundout. Meanwhile, starting pitcher Garret Wood set down nine of the next 10 Gophers. However, with two outs in the fifth, Green City scored a run with a single and triple for a 5-2 lead.

The 'Dogs rallied in the bottom of the fifth, as Gage Ludington's leadoff walk preceded Trayce Switzer's RBI triple. Peyton Parn's RBI single followed, and the Bulldogs were within, 5-4, with no outs. Three consecutive putouts left Peyton Parn stranded on second.

The Gophers induced a one-out walk in the sixth, but the base runner was erased trying to swipe second by catcher Peyton Parn. Peyton Parn relieved Wood to record the final out.
The Bulldogs went down quietly in the sixth.

Riley Hinckle was 2-for-3, and Colton Parn (triple, BB, run, SB), Switzer (triple, 2 RBI, run, SF), Peyton Parn (RBI, SB) and Hayden DeJong (RBI) each had a hit. Ludington (BB) scored two runs for the Bulldogs. Wood allowed just three unearned runs on five hits. He walked two and fanned one.

The Bulldogs (0-2) host Northeast (Cairo) on Thursday. The varsity game starts at 5:00pm, with the JV game to follow under the lights.

Story by: Dennis Hughes