Bulldogs Sweep Blue Sox

Jun. 6, 2009

The Kernersville Bulldogs showed why they are perennial contenders by shutting down the Blue Sox in Saturday's doubleheader 6-1 and 6-0. In the first game, The Bulldogs jumped out to a big advantage by scoring five of their six runs in the top of the first. Kernersville took advantage of walks to their first three hitters of the game and then a costly error that could have been a double play to stop the bleeding for the Blue Sox. Starter Blake Forslund (Liberty) settled in and found his rhythm after the long first inning but left after the second due to a high pitch count. Timmy Dudley (Liberty) took the mound in the third and pitched a stellar five innings to hold the Bulldogs in check the rest of the way out. The Blue Sox's only run of the day came in the sixth inning of the first game when Graham Thacker (Roanoke) led off the inning with a single and made it to third after Eric Conley (Tusculum) reached on an error by the Bulldog shortstop and then a failed pickoff attempt. Ryan Litz (Lynchburg) drove in Thacker with a sacrifice fly to deep center field. Offensively the Blue Sox could only muster five singles off of the tough Bulldog staff with Thacker having two hits and Mike Crowder (Tusculum) also adding two hits in three at bats.

In the nightcap, Kernersville limited the Blue Sox to just two hits as the Bulldog starter carried a perfect game into the fourth inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Blue Sox Ethan Tanner (Patrick Henry) hit a single up the middle to break up the no hitter and Payden Houser (Tusculum) followed Tanner's hit with one of his own to right field. The threat was then stymied when Tanner was picked off at second base and the next hitter popped out to the second baseman. Brian Goddard (Shenandoah) started the nightcap for the Blue Sox and pitched four innings, giving up 3 runs on 4 hits and striking out 4. Drew Elkins (Bridgewater) came in relief in the top of the fifth and gave up 3 runs to the first 3 batters but then settled down to shut down the Bulldogs for the rest of the game. The losses take the Blue Sox record for the season to 2-4. The wins for the Bulldogs improve their record to 6-0.

The Blue Sox take on the Pulaski Pirates in a double header on Sunday, the 7th at Liberty with the first game beginning at 1:30pm.