Post Photo by Dennis Holley Blaine Woodard delivers a pitch for the Bulldogs against Huntland.
By DENNIS HOLLEY
Sports Writer
CORNERSVILLE — The Cornersville Bulldogs (0-3) hosted the Hornets of Huntland High School (1-3) in a beautiful Thursday evening baseball game between two old foes, now playing in different districts.
The Bulldogs were hoping to break into the win column and despite rallying for two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game and send it into extra innings, Huntland pushed across a run in the top of the ninth and in the bottom of the ninth the Hornets stopped the Bulldog rally with two outs by throwing out a runner at the plate as Huntland escaped with a 3-2 win over the Bulldogs.
The starting pitchers were on their game, as Cornersville’s Blaine Woodard and Huntland’s Daltyn Howell matched goose eggs through the first four innings of the game.
The Bulldogs escaped a jam in the top of the second inning as Huntland loaded the bases with a base hit, and a base-on-balls but Woodard bore down to get a grounder to second and the Bulldogs kept the score at 0-0.
In the bottom of the second, Cornersville got a base hit with one out by Kristan Malone but could not bring him around and after two innings the score was still knotted at zero.
Both teams threatened in the third inning, but Woodard again pitched out of a two-on base jam by getting a strike out and a pop-up and Howell escaped with runners on by getting a grounder to third to end the inning.
In the top of the fifth got the Hornets on the board when after a base hit and a walk, then two sacrifice flies that moved the runners along, a throwing error brought them home for a 2-0 Huntland lead.
The Bulldogs went quietly in the bottom of the fifth and despite a lead-off base hit by Peyton Cherry in the sixth, Cornersville could not bring him around.
Cornersville found itself facing a do-or-die situation in the bottom of the seventh inning, responded with Woodard opening with a base hit and despite getting erased by a fielder’s choice by Kristian Malone the Bulldogs’ Garrett Schillig got aboard and Jacob Courtemanche brought them home with a base hit and the game headed toward extra innings.
Colyn Schillig replaced Woodard in the top of the sixth for Cornersville and found his groove until the top of the ninth when with two outs Huntland’s Matthew Dickson blasted a double to the alley in center-right, field then a throwing error allowed the Hornet runner to scamper home for a 3-2 lead.
The Bulldogs again had dig down and with two outs Garrett Schillig worked a walk, gained second on a passed ball, then another passed ball sent him third base.
The throw down the line from the catcher evaded the third baseman and Schillig bounced up and headed toward home, but the Hornet shortstop was backing up the play and in short right, made the throw home and though the throw was high the Huntland catcher snagged the ball and laid the tag on the Cornersville runner and Huntland prevailed 3-2.
Huntland 000 020 001 – 3
Cornersville 000 000 200 – 2
WP: Blaine Counts.
LP: Colyn Schillig.
Post Photo by Dennis Holley
Blaine Woodard delivers a pitch for the Bulldogs against Huntland.
