CAMDEN BULLDOGS CLUBS THE COUGARS OF YORK IN PLAYOFF OPENER, 14-2

The Camden Bulldogs Baseball Team clubbed the Cougars of York in the opening round of the AAAA Baseball Playoffs at York on Monday night by a score of 14-2. The game was shortened to 5 innings by the mercy rule. Maddux Dixon was the winning pitcher for the Dogs. He pitched 4 innings and allowed 2 earned runs on 4 hits, 5 walks, 3 hit batters and had 2 strikeouts. Dalton Sharpe pitched 1 inning in relief allowing 0 runs with 2 base runners on a hit and a walk while striking out one. The Bulldogs offense was the story of the evening as the team collected 12 hits in five innings of work. Clay Ridgeway led the Dogs with 3 hits - 2 of them were doubles and had 3 RBI.

Thomas Bishop led off the game with a single and advanced to second base on a passed ball. Brady Furniss walked and Dixon's sacrifice advanced the two runners up a base. Bishop would score on a wild pitch and Furniss was driven in by Dalton Sharpe’s single to make it 2-0 after 1 inning. In the top of the second inning Edwards Graham led off with a single and Cason Newman advanced him to second base with a sacrifice bunt. Bishop followed with a booming home run to left center field to make it 4-0. York tallied a run in the bottom of the 2nd inning to make it 4-1. In the top of the third inning Sharpe had a one-out single and Ridgeway followed with his second double of the night to score Sharpe and make it 5-1. York answered with another run in the bottom of the third inning to make it 5-2.

The Dogs blew the game open in the top of the 4th inning. Newman led off with a single and Bishop and Furniss followed with walks to load the bases. Dixon drove in Newman with a single to center. He was replaced by courtesy runner Maddox Freeman. Mac Mellichamp followed with a 2-strike, 2-RBI single to center to score Bishop and Furniss. Courtesy runner Matthew Lounsbery replaced Mellichamp. With one out Ridgeway recorded his third hit with a single to drive in Freeman and move Lounsbery to third. Thorn Tucker then drove in Lounsbery with a sacrifice fly to make it 11-2. In the top of the fifth inning Bishop was hit by a pitch with one out and would steal second base and later with two outs took third on a wild pitch. Dixon then drove in Bishop with a single to right. Freeman ran for Dixon once again. Mellichamp reached on a walk and was replaced on the bases by Lounsbery again. Sharpe followed with a walk to load the bases and then Freeman and Lounsbery each scored by walks from Ridgeway and Tucker to make it 14-2.

Seven Bulldogs recorded hits: Ridgeway had 3 while Bishop, Dixon and Sharpe each had 2. Mellichamp, Graham and Newman each had one hit.

The Bulldogs will play at Seneca on Tuesday night, May 5th with a 6:00 pm start in the Winner’s Bracket of District C. Seneca defeated Lancaster 6-1 on Monday night. Mac Mellichamp is the expected starter for the Bulldogs at Seneca.