Bulldogs fall to Richfield in battle of top 2A teams
By Sean Hales
4-9-08

GUNNISON—The Gunnison Bulldog baseball team took on Sevier County last week, and although it won two of its three games, against North Sevier, 10-4, on Tuesday and against South Sevier, 11-5, on Wednesday, the one it lost was the one that would have meant the most.
On Friday, the Bulldogs hosted the Richfield Wildcats and lost, 6-4, while recording the most errors (four) in a single game this season.
One of the errors, in the fifth inning, led to two Richfield runs.
Ultimately, it came down to execution—or lack thereof—for the Bulldogs.
“We didn’t execute down the stretch,” said Gunnison head coach Jared Anderson, noting in particular, the seven walks in the last few innings and eight runners stranded on base. “We had our chances,” he said, “we just couldn’t get it done.”
The biggest hurt came in the seventh inning when the Bulldogs put their first two runners on base, but recorded three outs before the team’s offensive leader, Max Sanders, could get to the plate. Sanders has hit double the RBIs of any other player on the team and his hitting almost .600. He has only two strikeouts and two walks this year and leads his team in almost all offensive categories. Sanders went 3-for-4 in the game.
“He’s having an unbelievable year with the bat,” said Anderson.
Taylor Newman and Heston Neal were also key offensive producers for the Bulldogs.
Richfield’s Jesse Hartle won the day for Richfield, going 3-for-3 from the plate and pitching all seven innings while Gunnison pitcher Brad Jackson was collared with the loss.
The game was a rematch of last year’s 2A championship, and is likely a preview of this year’s championship. Richfield has been trailing Gunnison all year in the rankings, but took over the top spot with the win.
“They got the job done that day and we didn’t,” said Anderson, adding that he hasn’t hit the panic button. Last year Gunnison went 12-0 through region play, which might have some fans worried.
“The unheard of thing was last year,” he said, “to go 12-and-0 is unheard of.”
“We’re just not quite where we need to be as team,” he said. “We’re just not putting a full seven innings together.”
Against North Sevier the Bulldogs committed four errors, but the Wolves could not overcome a 10-run fourth inning by the Bulldogs.
And Gunnison earned the win in classic style with good base running capitalizing on nine singles. Gunnison had no extra-base hits in the game.
Max Sanders led the Bulldogs at the plate, going 3-for-4 while Kevin Nay earned the win from the mound.
The next day against South Sevier, the Bulldogs struck early and often as they put up nine of their 11 runs in the first three innings.
Jackson got the win from the mound while Sanders again led from the plate, going 3-for-4 with a home run. Taylor Newman and Heston Neal both recorded doubles in the game.
With the games, Gunnison moved to an 8-4 overall record and 5-1 in the region.
On Tuesday, Gunnison was on the road to take on the Grand Red Devils (results not available by press time), the second worst team in the region with a 3-8-1 overall record.
On Friday, Gunnison will host North Sevier. Game time is scheduled for 3 p.m.