Bulldogs Open HCC Play vs. Avon

The Bulldogs opened up HCC play by winning their series against rival Avon two games to one.  The Bulldogs were led by the arms of senior pitchers Caleb Sampen and Triston Polley.  Sampen and Polley threw the first two games of the 3-game set and allowed 0 earned runs in two complete games.  In Friday's game 1, Sampen threw 7 innings, allowed only 2 unearned runs while striking out 8 Oriole batters.  Polley kept up the strong pitching on Saturday morning's first game throwing a complete game shutout with 9 strikeouts.  Both pitchers collected their first wins of the season.  The Bulldogs were just as effective the entire series putting up 32 hits in the series.  Game 1 was a tight, 1-run game until the Dogs unloaded 8 hits and scored 9 runs in the top of the 5^th.  The Dogs tacked on 2 more in the top of the 7^th and Sampen was able to close out his complete game with a 12-2 victory.  Game 2 followed a similar storyline.  The Bulldogs scratched 1 run across in the bottom of the first with an Anthony Travelsted double to lead off the game followed by hits form Ryan Robbins and Caleb Sampen to score him.  The next few innings remained tight until the Bulldog were able to open the game up with 5 hits and 5 runs, capped by a Sampen 3-run double.  Polley took the game from there and the Dogs won the second game 6-0.  The final game of the series was a 9-inning nail-biter that unfortunately saw the Bulldogs come out on with a 9-8 loss.  The Dogs struggled a little on the mound in the 3^rd game but the bats were able to keep the game close.  After falling behind 3-0 in the first, senior Owen Gilbert supplied a 2-run HR in the 2^nd and a 2-run single in the 3^rd to put the Dogs ahead.  The Orioles were able to battle back in the 4^th and 5^th to take a 2-run lead, but lost the lead to the Dogs again in the 6^th.  The Dogs lost the lead in the 7^th and the score remained tied 8-8 until the Orioles were able to scratch a run across in the top of the 9^th and held the Bulldogs scoreless in the bottom half.  Offensive leaders for the Dogs were: senior OF Anthony Travelsed (5/11, 1 2B, 1 RBI), senior P/SS Caleb Sampen (5/12, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 RBIs), senior 3B Andrew Dishinger (6/11, 1 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBIs) and senior 1B Owen Gilbert (4/11, 1 HR, 4 RBIs).  The Bulldogs move to 2-3 (2-1 HCC).