Bulldogs sweep Cruisers

The Eatonville Cruiser baseball team had a rough week last week, dropping all three games of their three-game series to the first-place Montesano Bulldogs.

On Wednesday, the Bulldogs hosted the Cruisers at Vessey Field in Hoquiam for a double-header.

In the first game, the Cruisers struck first in the top of the first inning when Payton Hanly drove in Jakob Lucht on a single to right field to give the Cruisers the lead at 1-0.

The Bulldogs answered back in the bottom half of the inning with three runs of their own to take a 3-1 lead, a lead they would not relinquish as they went on to take the eventual win, 8-3.

The Cruisers mustered only four hits in the game from Brandon Storm, Lucht, Hanly and Riley Storm.

In the second game of the double-header, the Cruisers once again struck first, scoring two runs in the first inning. After Brandon Storm hit a double to right field, Blain Hanly drove him in on a single to center to give the Cruisers a 1-0 lead. Ashton Meyer then reached base on an error by the shortstop, which advanced Blain Hanly to third base. Payton Hanly then bunted to score his brother to give the Cruisers a 2-0 lead, which they could not hold onto as the Bulldogs scored six runs in the third inning, one run in the fourth and five more in the sixth.

The Cruisers pushed across two more runs in the fourth inning, but it was not enough as they fell 12-4.

Brandon Storm led the Cruisers with two hits on the day, going 2-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored.

Looking to avenge their losses in the first two games of the three-game series, the Cruisers were scheduled to play the game at home, but the Cruisers’ field could not be played on, so the game was moved to Montesano.

The Bulldogs jumped on Eatonville early, scoring eight runs in the second inning and never looked back.

Eatonville scored their only run of the game in the third inning. After Lucht doubled, Blain Hanly drew a walk. Meyer was hit by a pitch, and Payton Hanly drew a four-pitch walk to bring in Lucht.

Montesano scored six more runs and defeated the Cruisers in five innings, 14-1.

Lucht and Blain Hanly were the only Cruisers to pick up hits in the game.

The Cruisers will finish off the regular season traveling to Hoquiam to take on the Grizzlies Friday at historic Olympic Stadium. The first pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.