Baseball registers two tournament wins

By Bill Tamburrino

Bulldog baseball had a busy week. The Dawgs beat Escondido and El Camino in the North County Tournament and lost the continuation of the Rancho Buena Vista game that was the cause of last week’s controversy.

The Dawgs are now 6-4 and headed for the oldest baseball tournament in the county, The 62nd Lions Invitational Baseball Tournament.

Ramona got off to an early lead against Escondido, but the Cougars rallied to take the lead and Ramona used one of its patented come-from-behind rallies to win the game. The Dawgs led 6-0 going into the fifth inning.

Escondido rallied for seven runs, four in the fifth and three in the sixth to take a 7-6 lead. The Dawgs rallied for three runs in the sixth to win the game.

Gage Canning led the frame with a walk. Kevin Hagan laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Canning to second. Jackson Willeford then delivered the game winning hit.

Willeford hit a 1-2 pitch out of the park for a two-run home run. Ramona was not done scoring. Beau Sulser ripped his fourth double of the game and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Christian Drews then drove in Sulser with a clutch single.

Rhett Williams put the Cougars down to pick up the victory. Willeford and Drews both had two hit games. Willeford drove in three runs. Canning, Hunter McHargue, Brandon Fitzpatrick, Hagan, Taylor Burger, and Henry Flecker contributed one hit apiece to the Bulldogs’ 14-hit performance.

Harrison McGhee got the start and went four and a third innings. He gave up four runs on five hits and struck out eight. Williams went two and two-thirds innings and gave up two runs on three hits.

Rancho Buena Vista rallied for four runs in the eighth inning to win the game that started last week. RBV’s protest was upheld and the game resumed with two outs in the seventh inning.

Sulser led the offense with three hits in five trips and three RBIs. Fitzpatrick and Willeford both contributed two hits to the offense. Jordan Farhat stroked a solo home run. Henry Flecker singled and Drews had an RBI single.

Ramona finished the week and the North County Tournament on the road with a 4-3 victory over El Camino High School. The Dawgs used their familiar come from behind formula to earn the win.

Sulser went the distance and picked up his second victory of the season. The senior right-hander gave up two earned runs while giving up five hits. He struck out a season high 12 and only gave up two bases on balls.

Ramona stroked seven hits in the game and made the most of two Wildcat errors. Willeford led the attack with a 3-for-5 outing with a double. Fitzpatrick, Farhat, Hagan, Flecker and Drews all stroked singles for the Dawgs. Canning had the only RBI of the game.