Wolverines Bounce Back After Loss To Warriors
By EDDY GIFFORD
Sports Writer
The Dade County High School Wolverine baseball team played their worst game of the season on Monday, April 11 when they hosted the Gordon Central Warriors.
Dade took a 1-0 lead in the second inning but then fell behind 5-1 in the third when the Warriors had their biggest inning of the year. They then added another run in the top of the fourth to increase their lead to 6-1.
The Wolverines managed a run in the bottom of the third to make it 6-2 but really struggled at the plate against the Gordon Central pitchers who were extremely slow.
The Warriors continue to hit the ball against the Wolverines and added three more runs in the top of the fifth inning to build their lead to 9-2.
Dade finally showed a little life in the bottom of the fifth inning when they scored four runs without a hit to cut the lead to 9-6.
The sixth inning was scoreless, and the Wolverines held Gordon Central to no runs in the seventh and headed into the bottom of the seventh down by three.
Dade picked up two runs in the bottom of the seventh on four hits but with the tying run on base the game ended on a strikeout giving the visiting Warriors their first region win of the season 9-8.
The Wolverines were led by Eli Kimball with two hits, two RBI’s and scored two runs, Braylon Sullivan with two hits and scored one run, Mason Gatlin with two hits, and Brayden Nethery with one hit, one RBI and one run scored.
Nethery took the loss pitching two and two-thirds inning giving up five runs (two earned), striking out six and walking one. Kimball pitched four and a third innings giving up four runs and striking out eight.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
GC 0 0 5 1 3 0 0 09 10 02
Dade 0 1 0 1 4 0 2 03 10 01
On Wednesday, the Wolverines traveled to Gordon Central to face the Warriors in a double header. It was a different Wolverine team that showed up on Wednesday. They came out aggressive on the bases with a different lineup and looked like a different team.
They took the lead in the first inning without a hit, scoring on a walk, stolen base, and an error to go up 1-0.
A big six run second inning put the game away as the Wolverines picked up three hits, the big blows were a home run by Brodie Swader and a double by Nethery.
Dade added six more runs in the top of the third on just three hits to take a commanding 13-0 lead.
Swader was cruising on the mound for the Wolverines having a perfect game through three innings. He gave up a walk to lead off the fourth to end the perfect game after a good play in left field saved the no-hitter to end the third.
The Wolverines scored four runs in the top of the fifth and came away with a 17-0 win.
Swader pitched a five-inning no-hitter throwing just 68 pitches while striking out 10 and walking one.
Swader also led the Wolverines at the plate with two hits and four RBIs and four runs scored. Landon Williams had two hits, scored two runs, and had one RBI, while Nethery had a hit and two RBIs and scored one run. Malachi Burch had a hit, two RBIs and scored a run while Sullivan had a hit, scored and one RBI. Bryson Shrader had a hit, RBI and scored two runs and Gatlin had a hit, scored two runs and had an RBI.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Dade 1 6 6 0 4 X X 17 09 00
GC 0 0 0 0 0 X X 00 00 03
In the second game of the day the Wolverines took the lead in the second inning when they scored seven runs on five hits, the big blow was an inside the park home run by Swader.
The Warriors tried to answer Dade’s big inning but only managed three runs on two hits to make it a 7-3 game.
The Wolverines put the game away in the third inning when they scored nine runs on just five hits to make it 16-3. That would be all the scoring and Dade claimed their second five–inning win of the day.
Swader led the Wolverines at the plate hitting for the cycle, a single, double, triple and home run, scoring twice and picking up six RBIs. Nethery had two hits, two RBIs and scored one run while Shrader had two hits, two RBIs and scored a run.
Gatlin picked up the win pitching three innings giving up three runs (no earned runs) and striking out two. Williams pitched two innings striking out four.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Dade 0 7 9 0 0 X X 16 14 04
GC 0 3 0 0 0 X X 03 04 01
This week the Wolverines traveled to Model on Monday and then host Model on Wednesday in the final home game of the season and then travel back to Model on Friday for their final game of the year.