In their second game of the Katy Tournament, the Bulldogs evened their record against teams named Spartans by beating host Seven Lakes 9-2 in Thursday’s nightcap.

The Bulldogs didn’t waste any time getting on the board, as leadoff man SS Barrett Barnes singled to open the first, then came around to score on a stolen base, an outfield error, and a wild pitch. Seven Lakes tied it up in the bottom of the inning against Bulldog Starter Ryan Dalton on a double by 1B Donnie Hart, a wild pitch, and a stolen base. That would be as close as they would get the rest of the night.

The Bulldogs took control with 2 runs in the second and 4 runs in the third. A two-out walk to 2B Scott Duncan and a double by C Drew Miller put runners at second and third. Barnes plated them both with his second hit of the night, a double to left center. The Bulldogs then took advantage of a couple of Spartan miscues in the third. A lead-off walk to Dalton was followed by LF Blake Doerr’s hard grounder to the pitcher, which was thrown wide of second. 1B Eric Schweiger then squibbed a grounder into no-man’s land on the left side of the infield to load the bases. 3B Luke Mulcahey smashed a ball that handcuffed the first baseman and brought two runs home. DH Matt Hills followed with a sacrifice fly to center, and Barnes brought home the fourth run of the inning with a double down the left field line.

The Bulldogs added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth, on a two-out walk to Barnes, and a home run over the scoreboard in left field by CF Daniel Rockett.

The Spartans scratched out a run in the third on a walk and a misplayed outfield fly ball, but that would be all they would get against Dalton. He set them down in order in the 4th, 5th, and 6th, racking up 11 strikeouts on the evening. Scott Duncan wrapped things up with a shutout inning of relief.

Bulldog Offensive Highlights:

· 9 hits for the Bulldogs: 2 doubles and a single for SS Barrett Barnes; a double and a single for C Drew Miller; HR #1 for CF Daniel Rockett; and singles for P Ryan Dalton, LF Blake Doerr; and 1B Eric Schweiger.

· 8 RBIs on the game: 3 for Barnes, 2 for Rockett, 2 for 3B Luke Mulcahey, and 1 for DH Matt Hills.

Bulldog Pitching Highlights:

· Ryan Dalton (1-0), 6 innings, 11 K’s, 3 BB’s, 1 hit, 2 runs, 1 earned run.

· Scott Duncan, 1 inning, 1 K, 2 hits, 0 runs.

Bulldog Defensive Highlights:

· 3 K’s the hard way, with throwdowns to first on third strikes in the dirt, C Miller to 1B Schweiger.

· Long throw from third and great stretch at first, Mulcahey to VanTilborg for the 5-3 putout in the seventh.

Winning Pitcher: Ryan Dalton (1-0)

Losing Pitcher: Nathan LeBlanc

HR, FBA: – Rockett

Extra Base Hits, FBA: 2B Barnes (2), Miller

Extra Base Hits, SL: 2B Hart

Score by inning: