Bulldog baseball ends season second in league

Ramona Bulldogs ended the regular baseball season and Valley League play by splitting a series with Oceanside High School.

To defend its league championship, Ramona needed to make up a game on league leading Westview High School. Both teams won on Tuesday, so the Dawgs needed to beat Oceanside on Thursday and a Westview loss.

Neither happened and the Dawgs finished in second place in the Valley League with an 8-4 mark.

The Dawgs finished the regular season with a 17-10 record. The Dawgs will advance to the Division II CIF playoffs.

Both games against the Oceanside Pirates were offensive battles. Last Tuesday, the Dawgs traveled to the coast and beat OHS 8-6. Ramona blasted out 11 hits in the win.

Alex Muren and Brady Wilson both had 3-for-4 outings. One of Muren’s hits was a double.

Blake T. Drake, Kyle Gray, Ian Hunt, Jackson Willeford and Smiley Willeford all collected singles in the win. Drake, Gray Hunt and Smiley all drove in runs.

Cody Willingham picked up his eighth win of the season going six and a third innings. He gave up six runs on seven hits. Only three runs were earned. Willingham fanned seven.

Erik Ernst picked up his second save in league action by throwing two thirds of an inning and blanking the Pirates.

In the home finale, Oceanside got off to a three-run lead in the third and never relinquished it. The Dawgs made a valiant comeback rally in the bottom of the seventh as theyrallied from a 9-5 deficit and had the winning run at the plate but fell short.

Kyle Gray and Alex Muren both had stellar outings at the plate. Both went 3-for-4. Gray blasted a double and Muren had an RBI.

Mike Studley and Jackson Willeford both ripped two hits apiece. Studley had a double and an RBI. Jackson also had a double and an RBI.

Ian Hunt was 1-for-2 with an RBI. James Nicholson contributed a two-run single and Wilson had an RBI single.

Studley got the start and took the loss going five an two thirds innings. He gave up seven earned runs and struck out six. Ernst went the final inning and a third and gave up an unearned run on one hit. He struck out two.

It looks like the Dawgs will have to play the entire playoffs on the road as they got the number nine seed.