Bulldogs grab big school wins
Batesville Baseball
Batesville baseball is now 4-1 on the season and has won back-to-back games. The Bulldogs are currently ranked 14th in the Class 3A state poll.
Class 3A No. 14 Batesville found itself up against a pair of Class 4A opponents early this week and handled each with ease, picking up two wins in the process to reach five wins on the season.
The Bulldogs won both in response to a 10-5 loss at home on Saturday to New Palestine. Batesville also remains defeated in the Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference.
Monday night’s EIAC road clash saw Batesville pitching dominate en route to a 4-0 Bulldog win at East Central. Bulldog starter Will Jaisle struck out 10 and allowed just two hits over four innings to get the victory. Dane Dudley relieved him and threw three frames, allowing no runs on one hit with seven strikeouts.
Batesville opened the game with two runs in the top of the first inning and added a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to close out the night. Dudley aided the cause with a home run and two RBI to go along with a run scored. Alex Krekeler went 2-for-3 with a double and RBI and Carson Schneider belted two doubles with a run scored. Rylan Yeager drove in a run on a hit and Carson Meyer added a base hit.
East Central ace Joel Richter was tagged with the pitching loss, allowing two earned runs on four hits with a strikeout. Collin Harrill had two of the three hits by the Trojans.
One night later it was Batesville at home defeating Columbus North by a 9-5 final score. A 1-1 tie in the first inning gave way to the Bulldogs scoring five runs and leading 6-2 through three innings. Batesville’s offense added three runs in the bottom of the fifth before defense held off a late charge in the final two innings.
Columbus North (3-4) scored two runs in the top of the sixth and a run in the top of the seventh but could not dwindle down on the deficit any further.
Of the nine hits by Batesville, three came off the bat of Cayden Drake who also hit a double and had two RBI with a run scored. Schneider went 2-for-4 with a double, three RBI and a run. Jaisle and Krekeler each drove in a run on a base hit and Mason Jones notched a single. Ronan Post, a freshman, recorded an RBI.
Drake toed the rubber and delivered five innings of work to get the win on the mound. He gave up two unearned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and a walk. Yeager finished the night, allowing three earned runs on two hits with a pair of punchouts and a walk.
Jesse Clark had a base hit and two RBI for Columbus North. The losing pitcher was Jayce Emmitt who gave up six runs -two earned- on three hits with a strikeout and a walk.
Batesville (5-1, 3-0 EIAC) is home today against East Central in an EIAC rematch.
