Bulldogs Peaking, Go 3-0 for week

By LOU MARTIN

The Progress

The Virgin Valley High School baseball team is peaking at just the right time as the regular season is closing and playoffs loom just ahead.

After being shut out by Pahrump Valley on March 30, the Dawgs have gone 10-1 with the only loss coming at the hands of nonconference foe Clark High School. The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 122-32 in their last 11 games.

The Bulldogs trail arch rival Moapa Valley by two games with two remaining in the regular Mountain Conference season. The Bulldogs are 8-3 versus the Pirates 9-1 record. The Bulldogs sit one game ahead of Eldorado High School.

The Dawgs finish up against Western High School on May 3rd before traveling to face the Pirates on Thursday May 5 in an important pre-tourney matchup. The Bulldogs three losses have come at the hands of Desert League leaders Boulder City, Pahrump and Clark High Schools.

The Bulldogs went 3-0 last week defeating Sunrise Mountain 31-6, Eldorado 5-2 and Cheyenne High School 15-3.

The Dawgs absolutely crushed Sunrise Mountain on Monday, April 25 with a hitting barrage in just 3 innings of play. The Dawgs managed 20 hits with Bryce Intagliata and Kyler Sudweeks accounting for four hits each. Shortstop Kurt Felix added three hits followed by Jared Jensen, Stratton Waite, Drake Wakefield and Cameron Wright with two apiece.

The Dawgs scored 9 runs in the first inning, 10 runs in the second 12 runs in the mercy rule-shortened third inning. Jensen got the win for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs had a much tougher time on Wednesday with their 5-2 victory over Eldorado High School. The Dawgs fell behind in the first inning 1-0 against a strong Sundevils squad.

The Bulldogs tied the game in the bottom of the second inning and followed up 4 more runs in the second to lead 5-2 after five innings.

Kyler Sudweeks shut down the Devils until the 7th inning before being relieved by Martin Jordan and Intagliata.
Wakefield and Waite led the Dawgs with two hits each.

Friday’s game against the Cheyenne Desert Shields was a breather for the hometown Dawgs. They jumped on the Shields early with 7 runs in the first, 3 runs in the second, added two runs in the third and three more in the fourth to finish their scoring.

Waite went three innings for the win relieved by Cameron Perkins who finished the five inning game.
Perkins and Jensen led the Bulldogs with three RBI’s each.

The Bulldogs season record now stands at 12-4. The last two games of the season will determine playoff positions as Moapa travels to Eldorado on May 4 and hosts VVHS on May 5. Two losses by the Pirates with two wins by the Dawgs would give the Bulldogs first place.