Blake Juberg, a rising River Ridge senior, swings for his Game Ready Cavaliers summer team in their pool-play game Saturday.
The Dodgers (3-0), based out of the Memphis, Tenn., suburb of Cordova, scored two runs in both the first and second innings to take control of the game, though they had to hold off a late Cavaliers rally to secure the win and remain undefeated in Pool Q play.
“We played well early,” Dodgers coach Tim Dulin said. “But, with this heat, we lost a little bit of focus overall and their team hung with us and scrapped and put some balls in play at the end of the game. They made some plays, and we didn’t make them. So, a win’s a win, but we really didn’t play that well, especially in the back end of the game.”
Dalton Dulin was 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in the first inning, while Daniel Garner and Austin Sexton were each 2-for-3, and Carlos Williams was 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Dodgers at the plate.
The Dodgers also got a strong effort from starting pitcher John Marc Shelly, a Mississippi State signee who held the Alpharetta-based Cavaliers (1-2) hitless and recorded 10 strikeouts in five innings on the mound.
Recent Creekview graduate Brandon Howard got one of the Cavaliers’ two hits in the game, going 1-for-3 at the plate.
The Dodgers got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the first inning with Dalton Dulin’s two-run blast over the right-field fence. That scored Williams to give them a 2-0 lead.
The Dodgers picked up two more runs in the bottom of the second as Williams singled to score Hunter Lindley and Williams scored on a passed ball to make it 4-0.
After being held hitless for the first six innings, the Cavaliers finally got their first hit of the game in the top of the seventh when Kevin McMenss singled to lead off the inning.
Howard followed that up with a double and McMenss went on to score on a single by Patrick Messinger to help the Cavaliers cut their deficit to 4-1.
Howard then scored on an error by Dalton Dulin at shortstop, and Messinger stole home to cut the deficit to 4-3.
That, however, was as close as the Cavaliers could get.
“It was tough at first,” Cavaliers coach Steve Howard said. “But, from the second inning on, we outscored them 3-0. The guys bounced back and put together a little rally at the end. They showed a lot of heart to not fold against a team like that. Their starting pitcher (Shelly) was really dominant. I’m proud of the guys for coming back.”
Both teams will return to action to pool play today at 11:30 a.m., with the Dodgers playing A. Green Baseball at East Cobb Baseball Complex and the Cavaliers taking on Gatorball Baseball Academy at West Forsyth High School. 4\
Post a Comment