Senior Liliana Herzog’s second-place 100 hurdles effort was one of a bevy of awards local tracksters racked up at the recent Bulldog Invitational meet. (Photo by TJ Turner)
Bulldog Sports Round-Up | May 16, 2025
- Published: May 16, 2025
BASEBALL
Varsity has trio of solid games
The varsity team’s Tuesday, May 6, game scheduled for Emmanuel Christian was rained out. The Thursday, May 8, reschedule date was in jeopardy as well, if not for the nifty field work of Coach Scott Fleming to get Gaunt Park ready. The game was moved from Emmanuel Christain’s field, which was still under water, to Gaunt Park, which was in great shape.
Mason Cline was the starting pitcher and had a solid five innings, giving up only five hits. The Bulldogs, however, found themselves down 1–6 when they came to bat in the bottom of the fourth inning, determined to score at least three runs and cut the Lions’ lead. Graham Turnmire started things off with a walk. After a strikeout, Lucas Price earned a walk as well. Finn Turnmire rapped a single to center field to load the bases. Chris Goebel placed a single to center field as well, scoring Graham Turnmire and keeping the bases loaded. Following another strikeout, there were two outs and the bases were juiced. Mateo Basora, Cline and Jaxyn Fletcher blasted consecutive hits before a final strikeout of the inning.
The Bulldogs had surpassed their goal of three runs by scoring five in the inning. The score now stood tied going into the final three innings. Emmanuel put a run across in the top of the fifth which the Bulldogs were unable to answer. The sixth inning turned out to be the undoing for the Bulldogs as the Lions scored a whopping seven runs. The problematic Bulldogs defense let them down, leading to a disappointing home loss.
Still stinging from the loss on Thursday, the Bulldogs hosted Legacy Christian on Friday, May 9. This was another solid performance for the Bulldogs. Bryce Fleming pitched an excellent game as he kept the Knights off-balance the first time through the lineup. In fact, the score was knotted at 0–0 after three innings. The Knights adjusted and were able to put together a couple of rallies, finally knocking Fleming out of the ballgame. The Bulldogs fought back with a four-run fifth inning, highlighted by hard hits by Cline and Caleb Derrickson. Alas, the four runs came up short and the Bulldogs lost the game. However, they came away with a feeling that their hard work was to pay off soon.
Slugger Mason Cline blasted the ball at a recent baseball game. (Photo by Jyoti Miller)
The next opportunity for the Bulldogs came on Saturday, May 10, as they traveled to Southeastern for a matchup with the Trojans. Southeastern picked the most beautiful day of the year for baseball and enjoyed the decision, holding their annual senior day before the game.
Basora got his first starting pitching assignment of the year and was determined to spoil the fun for the large Trojan crowd. Basora scattered only five hits across his six innings of work. The unlucky Bulldogs were hitting the ball but had come up empty, trailing the Trojan 0–5 after five.
The YS coaches implored their hitters to put three on the board to get within striking distance of the Trojans. Fletcher led the charge and started the inning with a single. Collin Goebel came in to run for Fletcher and promptly stole second. Kian Rainey came to the plate with one out after a strikeout. Rainey had fire in his eyes after belting balls over the last several games with little to show for it. This time was a different story, and he gave no chance to the Trojan left fielder. The blast led to an easy double and scored Collin Goebel. Finn Turnmire and Chris Goebel each earned a walk to load the bases. The Bulldogs plated a couple more runs via passed balls, but that was it, as a strikeout and a hard ground out finished the inning.
The Bulldogs had once again met their short-term objective of cutting into a lead. Down 3–5 and going into the bottom of the sixth inning, Basora was left in the game to face the Trojans. He came through with flying colors and blanked them, giving the Bulldogs a chance for a comeback in the final frame. Basora led off the inning with a smash to right field that was caught. Cline ripped a single to left field and the hometown crowd became very quiet. Unfortunately, the Bulldog bats also fell silent with back-to-back strikeouts to end the rally and finalize the 3–5 loss for the Bulldogs.
The junior varsity team was shorthanded on Wednesday, May 7, for their game at West-Liberty Salem due to a school concert. However, coaches Sam Jacobs and Scott Fleming were able to cobble together enough players to make the trip. Multiple pitchers could not keep the strong Tigers from pawing away at the basepaths. Despite hits by Collin Goebel, Mateo Basora and Graham Turnmire, and a scoreless final two-inning stint by David Torres, the Yellow Springers were unable to put a rally together to overcome the 0–7 lead.
The middle school team’s contest scheduled with Greenon on Monday, May 5, was rained out. However, they were able to get in Thursday’s game at Greeneview. It was a rough start, as the Rams blasted out eight runs in the first and two in the second, before the Bulldogs were able to cross the plate with two in the third. Another three-run Bulldog inning in the fifth was not enough to keep up with the Rams, leading to a 5–14 loss. Henry Babb had a nice day hitting, collecting a single and a double in his three trips to the plate.
Friday’s game called for a long bus ride to Fairlawn High School. The Jets put two on the board in the first inning. The Bulldogs fought back in the second inning with a two-out rally, capped by Babb’s RBI single for their third run of the inning. The slim lead did not last as the Jets strung together hits, with several walks sprinkled in along the way. By the time the inning was over, so were the chances for the Bulldogs. They put another run on the board in the fourth inning, but it was not enough to overcome the disastrous third inning. In the end, the Bulldogs had lost 4–15.
—Coach Mitch Clark
TRACK
Tracksters perform well
Performing well before a large and boisterous crowd, the boys and girls teams turned in a stellar performance at the Bulldog Invitational on Friday, May 9. The girls took home a runner-up trophy behind the Urbana Hillclimbers, while the boys came in fourth place in the competitive 11-team field.
Leading the girls was sprint star Llynah Grant, who took home three gold medals in the 100 (12.82) and 200 (26.92) and, in comeback fashion, anchored the 400 meter-relay team with Natalie Gilley, Brooklyn Hapgood and Olivia Washington to a first-place victory. Junior Sasi Dress covered the eight laps in the 3200 run to a first-place finish in a fine time of 13:39.
The depth of the girls team was strongly evident with second-place finishes by Liliana Herzog (100 hurdles), Tiger Collins (high jump) and the 1600-meter relay team of Elise Bongorno, Herzog, Hapgood and Violet Matteson. Earning bronze medals with third-place efforts were Tiger Collins (long jump), Isabella Espinosa (100 hurdles), Matteson (400 meters), Addison Shafeek (discus) and the 800-meter relay team of Hazel Creepingbear, Gilley, Hapgood and Addison Shafeek.
Rounding out the scoring for the Bulldogs with fourth-place efforts were Washington (100 meters), Herzog (long jump) and the 3200-relay team of Cynthia Burke, Rebecca DeWine, Drees and Matteson. Fifth-place points were earned by DeWine (3200) and Espinosa (300 hurdles). Strong efforts were turned in by Inez Creepingbear, Paradise Everhart, Petra Nieberding, Sierra Sundell-Turner, Evie Thomas and Isabella Thomas.
The boys squad had one of their strongest performances of the year and were once again led by distance phenom Kyle Johnston who ran to a runner-up performance in the 3200 (10:23) and third place in the 1600 (4:52). Senior Terrel Robinson tossed the discus (108’10) and heaved the shot to a bronze effort (38-7). Junior Kiernan Anderson, in his second time running the 300 hurdles, finished in second place (47.1). Phoenix York (100 meters) and Aaron White (high jump) had third-place efforts.
Leading the charge with fourth-place efforts were Evan Galarza (shot put), the 400-relay quartet of Anderson, Collin Calfee, Morris Wyatt and Phoenix York and the 800-relay squad of Logan Cooper, Ethan Goodman, Sherrod Wheeler and White.
Other Bulldog scorers were Matteo Chaiten (400 meters), Nic Washington (200 meters), Wills Oberg (3200 meters), Sailor Schultz (Shot Put), the 1600-meter relay squad of Anderson, Chaiten, Cooper and Washington and the 3200-relay team of Adrian Benedict, Luka Rao, Oberg and Wheeler. Trevor Roberts, rehabbing from injury, ran well in the 1600 meters.
The following seniors were recognized in a ceremony prior to the meet: Cynthia Burke, Collin Calfee, Tiger Collins, Evan Galarza, Liliana Herzog, Terrel Robinson and Morris Wyatt.
Coaches Isabelle Dierauer, John Gudgel and Dave Johnston commented that the Bulldogs’ enthusiasm and team spirit were a key part of the success along with strong support from the enthusiastic fans.
—Coach John Gudgel
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