Bulldog bats come alive against Lakewood

In a rare standalone spring game, the Lakewood baseball team was the only squad on the diamond or field Wednesday night, as the Leopards hosted the St. Pauls Bulldogs for their second bout of the season. In the first matchup, on March 3, Lakewood was the better of the two squads in an 11-2 routing. This time, though, it was the Bulldogs’ game, as they took the 8-0 win on Lakewood’s home field.

Landon Neal got the start for Lakewood, with the lefty pitcher falling behind 3-0 to the first batter before three straight fouls moved it to a full count. Neal was unable to get a third strike, sending the batter to first on a walk. The runner would be thrown out at second on the next play when Caleb Neal corralled a grounder at third and tossed it to Aden Norton at second for the force out. Norton couldn’t get it to first baseman Dylan Drake in time for the double play, but the next batter also sent a ground ball to Neal at third, who rifled it to Drake for the second consecutive ground out. Landon Neal walked one more before striking out the final batter of the frame to keep the Bulldogs scoreless.

Leading off for the Leopards in the bottom of the first, Reed Ammons struck out swinging. Norton and Landon Neal were up next, both singling on fly balls to the outfield. Caleb Neal was sent down swinging as well to give Lakewood its second out of the opening inning, but Norton and Neal both moved into scoring position with Neal at second and Norton at third as Johnson Rouse was at the plate. Rouse couldn’t fully get a hold of the ball, and he grounded out to third to end Lakewood’s half of the first.

Things started to get out of control for pitcher Landon Neal and the rest of Lakewood’s squad in the top of the second. An error on a play at third by Caleb Neal allowed the first batter to reach first base safely. After being up in the count 1-2 to the next batter, Landon Neal’s pitch got a little too inside and hit the batter, putting runners at first and second. After an error by Rouse behind the plate, one runner scored and another moved to third. The batter was walked as well, putting runners at the corners. Neal would toss two more walks from the mound, with the latter of the two being four straight balls. One run would score from this, and Ammons was substituted in for Neal at pitcher.

Tyler Tew walked to begin Lakewood’s half of the second, but Ivey, Drake, and Chance Sessoms followed this up with consecutive strikeouts to end any bid by the Leopards to cut into the deficit.

Norton committed an error at second to begin the Bulldogs’ frame of the third inning and a single on a line drive to center put two runners on with no outs. Ammons walked one, but an attempted steal at third was foiled on a throw from Rouse behind the plate to Sessoms at third. Two more St. Pauls runs would score shortly after, though. The first, on a wild pitch, and the second on a wild throw from Landon Neal at first to Sessoms at third after a force out at first base. The score moved to 5-0 in favor of St. Pauls. A single and a fielder’s choice from Norton to Caleb Neal would retire the Bulldogs in the third after two runs crossed the plate.

The offense looked to come alive for Lakewood in the bottom of the third after Ammons was sent to first on a four-pitch walk to lead things off and Norton sent him to second on a sacrifice bunt. Landon Neal would send Ammons to third on a double to right field, putting two Leopards in striking distance at second and third, but nothing was made of the runners threatening to score. Caleb Neal struck out swinging for the second out of the side and Rouse did the same after working himself into a full count.

After a single to start St. Pauls’ offense in the fourth inning, a fielder’s choice sent in motion a unique play between both teams, resulting in a double play and a strikeout to end the Bulldog’s run. After a runner was caught in a pickle between third base and home plate, a mix of Leopards got in on the action to run him down. The same play unfolded between second and third, and nearly everyone in the infield had something to do with the play. Ammons struck out the next batter to end the roller coaster beginning to the fourth.

Tew, Ivey, and Drake were sent down 1-2-3 to close out Lakewood’s side of the fourth inning, continuing its offensive woes.

Three more runs crossed the plate for the Bulldogs in the fifth inning after a ground out from the first batter. A walk and a pair of singles sent one run across the plate for St. Pauls to make it 6-0, and another walk, a wild pitch, and an error put two more Bulldogs across the dish to bring the score to 8-0.

Caleb Neal came in as the relief pitcher after this, walking his first batter. A fielder’s choice double play on a grounder to Ammons at shortstop got a force out at second to Norton, who threw it to Landon Neal at first to send the Bulldogs packing in the fifth after the three runs crossed the plate.

Landon Neal and Aden Norton were the only two Leopards to record a hit in the outing, with Neal smacking two and Norton just one. Ammons was walked twice, Norton and Tew were each walked once apiece.

On the mound, Landon Neal tossed a complete inning with three runs crossing the plate, while only two were scored as earned runs. He also added five walkouts and a strikeout while allowing zero hits. Ammons threw the most of any Lakewood pitcher with 3 _^1/3 innings pitched, giving up five hits, five runs (all of which were earned), three walks, and two strikeouts. Caleb Neal was the closer, throwing for two and 2 ^_2/3 innings in which he gave up two hits, no runs, one walk, and rung up five.

Lakewood moved to 2-4 on the season with the loss before heading to Red Springs Friday for a double-header, with one of the games being the make-up for Tuesday night’s cancelled matchup.