Hampton doubles up Happy Valley, 8-4

Published 8:34 pm Sunday, March 15, 2020

By Allen LaMountain

BY ALLEN LAMOUNTAIN
STAR CORRESPONDENT
Happy Valley twice loaded the bases with no outs in their clash with Hampton but was able to push just one run across each time, as the big hit eluded the Warriors. It wasn’t enough as Hampton unleashed a 10-hit attack and took an 8-4 non-conference victory at Cannon-Gouge Park on Thursday afternoon.
Catcher Weston Street and shortstop Caleb Royston each had two hits for the Bulldogs with first baseman Dalton Rouse landing the big blow – a two-run homer to right field – that staked Hampton to a 5-1 third inning lead.
“The count was one and one and I was just looking for something to hit a long way,” Rouse said. “I wanted to get the runner in from second. It feels good that the guys in front of me get on base and that I was able to drive them in.”
Hampton (2-0) got a pair of runs in the top of the second against HV starter Hunter Smith when pitcher Josh Owens walked with one out. Landon Street collected an infield hit putting Bulldog runners at the corners and third baseman J.D Stout drove in the first run of the game with a single to leftfield.
A ground ball out off the bat of Brady Hicks made it a 2-0 contest. HV (0-3) got a run back in the last of the second on a double by centerfielder Andrew Little, a single from right fielder Eli Ayers and a sacrifice fly from designated hitter Dylan Woodby.
In the third, Hampton struck again with Rouse’s two-run shot that plated Weston Street and Owens followed Rouse with a double to centerfield and he scored on another RBI grounder from Hicks for a 5-1 ‘Dogs lead.
Owens set the Warriors down in the third and fourth frames and he finished with eight strikeouts and four walks while giving up just five hits over 6.2 innings of work.
“Josh Owens did not have his best stuff,” Bulldogs head coach Nicholas Perkins said. “But he did what a good pitcher does. He battled and he competed and he gave us a chance. He bent but he did not break.”
HV continued to chip away at the Bulldogs lead starting in the fifth frame on a pair of walks and a fielder’s choice that did not produce an out. With the bases juiced catcher Zac Workman drew an RBI walk from Owens, but Owens then struck out Smith and got Casey Blevins to hit into a 6-4-3 double play that ended the threat.
“I’m so proud of my young men and I am blessed to coach this group and see them have some success,” Perkins said. “Dalton has shown flashes of being a run producer since he was a sophomore and I hope these first couple games are an indication of what he can do in our three-hole.”
The Warriors loaded the bases once again in the sixth frame on a single from Little, an infield error and a base knock from Woodby. Little scored on a wild pitch to make it a 5-3 game and both runners moved up but Colby Chausse struck out, shortstop Jacob Absher popped to Owens and Dylan Willis hit a grounder back to Owens on the mound for the final out.
Hampton tallied three insurance runs in the seventh with Weston Street singling home one run and Royston singled in another. Owens brought home the last Hampton run with a ground ball for an 8-3 Bulldogs lead.
Three Hampton miscues in the last of the seventh allowed HV to score one run but Rouse came in and retired Ayers on a ground ball to short.
—
Hampton 8-4
Hampton       023 000 3 – 8 10 4
Happy Valley 010 011  1 –  4  5  1
W – Josh Owens L – Hunter Smith

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