Top SE1B baseball teams face off Saturday

By Loyal Baker

DAYTON–Two unbeaten Southeast 1B baseball clubs will square off here this weekend, the 8-0 Pomeroy Pirates and the 5-0 Dayton Bulldogs. First pitch will be at 11 a.m.

The Bulldogs (5-0, 10-1) are coming off a sweep of Gar-Pal (0-4, 0-4) and a non-conference split with Sunnyside Christian (2-3, 4-8). Dayton travels to Pomeroy Monday for a single game.

Sunnyside Christian quieted Dayton's bats, chalked up 12 hits to Dayton's seven, and capitalized on eight Bulldog errors in front of a good-sized hometown crowd, including the recently arrived Yamate Japanese exchange students.

In the second game, Will Durham hit a double and a triple with four RBIs, and Bulldog hitters started making contact, blowing past SSC with a 10-run fourth inning and then holding the Knights scoreless for the 14-4 win. Durham's three-run double started the big fourth inning rally. Silas Czapka blasted a two-run walk-off double in the bottom of the sixth.

Pitchers Jordan McCowen and Will Durham combined for a no hitter in Dayton's 11-1 drubbing of the Vikings in the first game. Colton Steinhoff rapped a double with two away and bases loaded to give the Dawgs insurance runs.

Andrew Wertz led with six RBIs and was four for four at the plate while Czapka again stepped up, adding three RBIs and going three for three batting.

Game 1

R H E

SSC 302 015 3-14 12 2

Day 011 000 0-2 7 8

Battery: SSC-Vandergraf, Bosma (6) and Smeenk. Dayton-Durham, Wertz (7) and Cranmer.

Hits: SSC-Bosma, B. Smeenk, 3, Andringa 2, C. Smeenk, Hester, Newhouse, J. Smeenk 3.

Game 2

R H E

SSC 200 200-4 3 1

Day 000 (10)22-14 12 1

Battery: SSC-Bosma and Smeenk. Dayton-McCowen, Walter (6) and Durham.

Hits: SSC-DeBoer, B. Smeenk, C. Smeenk. Dayton-Czapka 2, Hutchens, McCowen 2, Durham 3, Steinhoff 2, Cranmer, Zanger.

Game 1

Dayton 11, Gar-Pal 1 (4-10)

R H E

GP 000 100-1 0 0

Day 030 161-11 12 3

Battery: Gar-Pal-Mitzenburg and Olson. Dayton-McCowen, Durham (4) and Cranmer.

Hits: Gar-Pal-None. Dayton-Carrigan, Cranmer, Czapka 2, Durham, Hutchens 2, McCowen, Steinhoff 2, Walter 2.

Game 2

Dayton 16, Gar-Pal 7 (4-10)

R H E

GP 201 22-7 4 0

Day 20(12) 2 0-16 16 5

Battery: Gar-Pal-Pfaff and P. Olson. Dayton-Hutchens, Wertz (5) and Durham.

Hits: Gar-Pal-P. Olson, Pfaff, Mitzemburg, Sperber. Dayton-Cranmer, Czapka 3, Durham 2, Hutchens 2, McCowen 2, Steinhoff, Walter, Wertz 4.

Home runs: Dayton-Colton Steinhoff.