Baseball: Freshman Chargers earn split

by Michael O'Brien

The Dow High freshman baseball team split two games with Bay City Western Tuesday night, taking game one 13-3, but dropping the nightcap 21-5.

In game one, it was solid defense that helped the Chargers, as they were errorless until the fifth inning when Western would score for the first time. The Chargers made two more errors in the sixth inning, leading to more runs on the scoreboard for the Warriors.

But those runs were too little too late for Western, as the Chargers had set the tone early with a double from Logan Praay and a triple from Ryan Maddox in the first inning. Praay and Maddox would both score, and Dow tacked on another in the third before breaking the game open.

In the fourth inning, the Chargers strung together six singles in a row before Maddox broke the string with a double. The Chargers scored five runs in the bottom half of the inning to strengthen the lead to 8-0.

They would score two more runs in the fifth and three in the sixth when the mercy rule was put into effect. Praay finished the game 4-for-4 with two doubles and Justin Reyes added three hits of his own.

Meanwhile, the free-swinging Warriors were unable to rattle Maddox on the mound. The right hander forced the majority of the hitters he faced to pound the ball into the ground and picked up the win after allowing only four hits in six innings while striking out four.

Game two was a much different story, though.

Praay was given the start but lasted only 2/3 of an inning. He gave up 11 runs in the short stint, though none were earned as the defense that had rolled through game one looked flat in the second. The Warriors 11-0 first inning lead proved too much for the Chargers.

Mike Tickner, Ryan Stone, and Chad Crawford combined to pitch the final 5 1/3 innings and slowed the Warriors down, though the trio still surrendered 10 runs.

Offensively, Reyes led the effort with two hits, and Praay added a double and two walks. Four other Chargers added singles, but that was all the offense Dow could muster in the loss.

The Chargers return to action next Tuesday in Saginaw against the Heritage Hawks. Game time is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.