Dalton ends week with doubleheader loss to West Holmes

PHOTOS BY LISA McGINTY | LMc Photography

Dalton’s Owen Beatty gets the out with the left field fly.

Bennet Gwin waits on the throw Tuesday against Hillsdale.

Dalton’s Andrew Wyckoff makes the play at first.

 

PHOTOS BY LISA McGINTY | LMc Photography

Dalton’s Cole Miller April 6.

By ARIEL STAHLER
Gazette & News sports writer

Dalton High School’s varsity baseball team took a loss at home against Hillsdale to start the week, but they came back the next day to defeat the Falcons. They ended the week with a doubleheader loss to West Holmes. The loss put the Dawgs at a 4-5 overall record.

A five-run seventh inning from Hillsdale was too much for Dalton to overcome in their April 6 home game. The Falcons won 10-7. Hillsdale scored one run in the first inning, but Dalton quickly erased the lead with two runs of its own. The Dawgs added three more runs in the second inning. The Falcons came back with a solo run in the third, but Dalton matched that run in the fourth when Bennet Gwin singled to bring home Isaac Wengerd. Hillsdale added three runs in the top of the sixth. Dalton scored one run in the bottom of the inning to put them on top 7-5. The Dawgs lost their grip on the lead in the top of the seventh. The Falcons gained momentum and plated five runs. Dalton was then held scoreless in the bottom of the inning.

“I am pretty disappointed in this loss,” said Dalton’s head coach Scott Huth. “This was a game we were pretty well in control of most of the night. They had a couple of well-placed hits late that got them going and it turned around on us in a hurry.”

Andrew Wyckoff took the loss. He gave up four earned runs on four hits in one inning of work.

Dalton arrived at Hillsdale April 7 ready for a rematch after the tough loss in the previous game. The Dawgs held the Falcons scoreless for nearly the whole game and won 4-2. Dalton’s first run came in the second inning when Jack Steiner scored on a passed ball. They added three more runs in the fifth inning, starting with Jaden Schlabach scoring Seth Manley on a sacrifice fly after Manley tripled in his lead-off at-bat. Later in the inning, Wengerd scored on a single by Steiner. Hillsdale scored its only two runs of the game in the bottom of the seventh, but the Dawgs held on for the win.

“Very proud of how our guys responded after a tough late-inning loss yesterday,” Huth said. “Isaac pitched well and controlled the game very well. Bennet Gwin is now hitting .682 and they are legitimate, solid hits with five doubles and eight RBIs through six games. I hope I don’t jinx him, but he is off to a really good start.”

Wengerd was the winning pitcher. He gave up two unearned runs on 10 hits while walking one and striking out six.

The Dawgs suffered a 13-2 loss to West Holmes in the first game of a doubleheader April 10 at home. Both teams scored one run in the first inning and the game remained tied until West Holmes broke open for nine runs in the third inning. The Knights continued with three more runs in the sixth. Dalton scored one run in the bottom of the inning, but it was all they could do. Both of Dalton’s runs scored on errors.

Schlabach was the losing pitcher. He gave up seven runs, six of which were earned, on three hits. Schlabach issued seven walks and struck out two hitters.

The score was different, but the result was the same in the second game of the doubleheader. West Holmes won 4-2. The Knights got on the board early with a runner scoring in the first inning. Dalton evened the score in the third when Colter Chupp singled home Kole Miller. West

Holmes added three additional runs in the top of the fifth. Dalton started the bottom of the inning with a single by Manley. Consecutive walks by Schlabach and Gwin loaded the bases. With one out, Adam Jarrett walked to send in Manley. The Dawgs could not do any more damage as the inning ended with back-to-back strikeouts.

“Not happy with our mental approach to either game,” said Huth. “Take nothing away from West Holmes, but we were not mentally sharp today and we gave up one bad inning in each game. Because of it, that cost us two losses.”

The loss went to Wyckoff. He gave up four runs on six hits and struck out three batters.