In the “battle of the dogs” part two on Tuesday, the North Greene Huskies handled the Hampton Bulldogs and swept the season series with a 9-4 win at Scotty Bunten Field.
NG also took a 2-0 win on Monday over Hampton.
Braydon Garber went the distance for the Huskies scattering seven hits while walking two and striking out one. Freshman Caleb Royston took the bump for the ‘Dogs and pitched well at times, but got into trouble with hit batters and the Huskies had some balls fall into empty outfield spaces.
“I’m really proud of my young freshman pitcher Caleb Royston,” Bulldogs manager Nicholas Perkins said. “He pitches with guts, and I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Royston walked just one while striking out four and plunking four NG hitters.
The Huskies (11-4, 5-1 WVC) scored single runs in the first and second frames with Kole Zirkle and a Hampton error allowed the second run to come across in the second inning. In the third inning, Hampton knotted the game at two as Landon Street and Morgan Lyons led off the frame with base knocks.
An infield grounder off the bat of Weston Street brought home one run and a throwing error brought home the tying run. That was as close as Hampton (1-10, 0-5) would get on this day as NG plated seven runs in the next two innings.
In the fourth two hit batters and an infield hit loaded the bases for NG and Turner Bailey’s single brought home two runs as the Huskies took a 5-2 lead. NG extended the lead in the fifth with Chase Malone driving in a run with a single and a Zirkle hit brought home two more with the Huskies now in front 9-2.
Zirkle’s hit came off relief pitcher Parker Henry and Devin Riddle pitched two scoreless innings and Perkins was especially proud of his effort saying, “Devin Riddle had never pitched before his junior year in his life. He is our lone senior pitcher and I tip my cap to him for how much he has improved.”
The ‘Dogs refused to simply roll over scoring single runs in the sixth and seventh innings with Dalton Rouse bringing in a run with a single in the sixth and Henry’s bases-loaded grounder in the seventh plated the final run of the game.
North Greene 9-4
North Greene 110 340 0 – 9 11 1
Hampton 002 001 1 – 4 7 1
W – Garber L – Royston