A season full of promise came to an end Saturday, as the Bulldogs lost the first tiebreaker game to Kempner 8-3, and lost the fourth-place tiebreaker game to Dulles 6-1.

Two key stats tell the story in the first game: 14 runners left on base, 7 unearned runs allowed. The Bulldogs couldn’t take advantage early on, stranding a pair of runners in the first & second, and leaving the bases loaded in the third & fourth – 6 walks, 3 hits, and an error with no runs to show for it.

Bulldog Starting Pitcher Benn Fairbanks was in command early on, getting two shutout innings to start. He got three ground balls to start the third, but one was misplayed on the infield and would prove to be costly, as Kempner took advantage of the miscue by extending the inning with a hit, a walk, and a hit to push across two unearned runs. The Cougars would tack on another run in the fourth on a single, a sac bunt, and a double, to make the score 3-0 after four innings.

The Bulldogs finally broke through with a run in the top of the fifth. A one-out single by DH Blake Doerr and consecutive two-out singles by PH Aaron Marcynuk and RF Tony Gigliotti brought home Doerr. The Bulldogs were inches away from tying the game on 3B Scott Viktorin’s drive, but the Kempner left fielder made a Willie Mays’-like catch to rob Viktorin and the ‘Dogs.

Having escaped yet another scoring threat, Kempner kept the pressure on and pushed across three more unearned runs in their half of the fifth. That would be the end of the day for Fairbanks, who pitched a great game, having allowed only one unearned run. The Bulldogs mounted a threat in the top of the sixth, starting with C Drew Miller’s lead-off single, his second hit and fourth time on base for the game. Two ground ball outs moved Miller to third, and back-to-back doubles by LF Ryan Dalton and Doerr scored Miller and Dalton to narrow the gap to 6-3.

Kempner would answer the Bulldog scoring with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth off of Reliever Andrew Keplinger to close out the scoring 8-3.

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In the nightcap against Dulles, things just didn’t seem to go the Bulldogs’ way right from the start. The first Dulles batter to face Bulldog Starter Robert Psenka hit a shot that bounced off of 3B Scott Viktorin towards the Dulles dugout for a double. He would come around to score on a groundout and sacrifice fly. Dulles would tack on another run in the second on an infield error, a couple of balls that snuck by C Drew Miller, and a single, making the score 2-0.

The Bulldogs would trim that deficit in half in the bottom of the third, getting back-to-back walks to Viktorin and Miller to start the inning, and a one-out single by 1B Adam Shank to score Viktorin. That would be the end of the scoring for the Bulldogs, who would get only two more base runners the rest of the night.

Dulles would add to their lead with a run in the fifth, two runs in the sixth, and a run in the seventh to make the score 6-1. The Bulldogs battled the whole way, but came up short. The last at-bat of the game summarized the day for the Bulldogs – 3B Scott Viktorin smokes a liner headed to left, but is robbed by the Dulles diving shortstop for the last out of the game, and put an end to the Bulldogs’ season.

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Bulldog Offensive Highlights, Game 1:

· 11 hits for the Bulldogs, 2 for extra bases: a double and a single for DH Blake Doerr; two singles for both C Drew Miller and 2B Andrew Keplinger; a double for LF Ryan Dalton; and a single each for 3B Scott Viktorin, SS Barrett Barnes, RF Tony Gigliotti, and PH Aaron Marcynuk.

· 3 RBIs on the game: one each for Gigliotti, Dalton, and Doerr.

Bulldog Pitching Highlights, Game 1:

· Benn Fairbanks (3-2, 2-1), 4 2/3 innings, 1 K, 1 BB, 9 hits, 6 runs, 1 earned run.

· Andrew Keplinger, 1 1/3 innings, 0 K, 2 BB’s, 2 runs, 0 earned runs.

Bulldog Defensive Highlights, Game 1:

· Keplinger to Barnes to Shank for a 4-6-3 double play to end the top of the second inning.

· In the third inning, 2B Keplinger had a fantastic grab and toss to SS Barnes for the second out.

· RF Gigliotti gets the last out in the third inning with a running catch on a deep fly in foul territory.

· 1B Shank gets the last out in the fourth inning on a great snag for the 3U putout.

· SS Barnes makes a great stop and feeds 2B Keplinger for the first out in the fifth inning.

· P Fairbanks gets a pick-off and rundown for the second out in the fifth.


Winning Pitcher: Kyle Von Tungeln

Losing Pitcher: Benn Fairbanks

Score by inning:

Bulldog Offensive Highlights, Game 2:

· 4 hits for the Bulldogs: two singles for 2B Andrew Keplinger; and a single each for C Drew Miller and 1B Adam Shank.

· 1 RBI on the game: one for Shank.

Bulldog Pitching Highlights, Game 2:

· Robert Psenka (1-4, 1-1), 5 1/3 innings, 4 K’s, 2 BB’s, 6 hits, 5 runs, 3 earned runs.

· A.J. Glasshof, 0 inning, 1 hit; the lefty JV call-up was making with varsity debut.

· Ryan Dalton, 1 2/3 innings, 3 K’s, 0 BB, 1 hit, 1 earned run.

Bulldog Defensive Highlights, Game 2:

· Barnes to Keplinger to Shank for a 6-4-3 double play to end the second inning.

· Barnes to Keplinger to Shank for a 6-4-3 double play for the first two outs in the third inning; Psenka ends that 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout.

Winning Pitcher: Ryan Burnaman

Losing Pitcher: Robert Psenka

Score by inning: