The Dewar Dragon varsity baseball team began its journey towards a fourth-straight state tournament appearance with a pair of shutout victories this weekend.
The Dewar Dragon varsity baseball team began its journey towards a fourth-straight state tournament appearance with a pair of shutout victories this weekend.
The Dragons, who have reached the state semifinals in each of the past three seasons, kicked off the 2024 campaign this past Friday with a 17-0 thrashing of the Wetumka Chieftains at Wiley Ryal Park in Dewar, then picked up their second-straight shutout win Saturday in Davenport with an 8-0 blanking of the host Davenport Bulldogs, who are coached by former Preston standout Brett Case.
The Dewar diamond squad returned to action Tuesday with a home meeting with the Depew Hornets and are scheduled to travel to Roff on Thursday before returning home this weekend for back-toback home games against Porum and Stonewall.
In Friday’s season opener against Wetumka, the Dragons opened the scoring with two runs in the home half of the first, then erupted for 15 runs in their half of the second for a 17-run advantage. The visitors were held scoreless in the top of the third to bring the contest to a close on the run rule with Dewar in front by a 17-0 margin.
In the blowout win, the Dragons tallied six hits in the contest and took advantage of 11 walks, three hit batters, and two defensive errors in two and onehalf innings of action.
The top offensive performers for the Dewar diamond squad on Friday were Skelly Taylor and Jacob Paden, who both recorded 2-run singles in the contest.
The other four Dragon base hits against Wetumka came on a single by Luke Hankins, double by Peyton Kilhoffer, and RBI singles by Zack Mullen and Tanner Wilson.
Taylor went the distance on the mound for Dewar to earn the shutout victory. Taylor struck out nine of the 10 batters he faced in the 3-inning outing with the only baserunner coming on a hit by pitch in the second inning.
In Saturday’s shutout win over Davenport, the Dragons opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the second, then added two in the third, two in the fourth, and one each in the fifth and sixth innings for the 8-0 decision.
The Dewar offense scattered seven hits in the contest, led by Zack Mullen, who went 3 for 4 with two singles, a double, and 2 RBIs.
Aiden Tomlinson also recorded a multi-hit game for the Dragons on Saturday, going 2 for 2 with a single and double.
The other two Dewar base hits in the road win came on a single by Skelly Taylor and double by Luke Hankins.
Peyton Kilhoffer drove in the first Dewar run of the contest with an RBI walk in the second.
Tomlinson worked the first four innings on the mound for the Dragons on Saturday to earn the pitching win. The senior hurler struck out 12, walking one, and hit a batter, while allowing just one base hit in four scoreless innings of work.
Mullen worked the final two (scoreless) innings in relief, striking out five and hitting one, while giving up just one base hit.
--- Friday, March 1
Dewar 17, Wetumka 0
Wetumka:0- 0 -0 0 -0-2 Dewar: 2 - 15 - x 17 - 6 - 0 WP: Skelly Taylor LP: Zane Jagger HR: None --- Saturday, March 2 Dewar 8, Davenport 0
Dewar: 0-2-2-2-1-1 8-7-0 Davenport: 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 0 - 2 - 3 WP: Aiden Tomlinson LP: Unknown HR: None