Swanton’s Drake Harris beats out a throw to first for an RBI infield single on Tuesday.
Patty Stambaugh | AIM Media Midwest
Swanton Coach Josh Siewert chats with Garrett Swank at third base Tuesday.
Patty Stambaugh | AIM Media Midwest
Swanton’s Ryan O’Shea makes contact with a pitch against North Central Tuesday.
Patty Stambaugh | AIM Media Midwest
All year long the big inning and untimely error has been a plague for the Swanton Bulldogs and Tuesday was no different. North Central used a four-run sixth, the last two coming on a dropped fly ball, to take a 6-4 victory in non-league baseball.
The Eagles took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the third but could’ve had a few more.
Sam Wheeler’s leadoff double in the first was wasted when Swanton pitcher Ryan O’Shea retired the next three.
The Eagles plated two in the second on a walk, wild pitch, and consecutive run-scoring singles from Johnny Hicks and Ethan Beard.
Beard took third on a Hunter Gowing throwing error but again O’Shea got out of trouble with a pop up and strikeout.
Swanton evened the game in the bottom of the third.
Trent Eitniear and Garrett Swank walked with one down.
With two away, Drake Harris roped a single to center that marked both runners.
The Bulldogs took the lead in the fifth when Eitniear was hit by a pitch and eventually scored when Harris legged out an infield single, giving Swanton a 3-2 lead.
However, in the top of the sixth the Eagles rallied.
Hicks singled off Eitniear who came to the mound to start the inning.
After a sacrifice, pinch-hitter Keanu Miller lined a single to score Hicks and tie the game.
Ben Pettit followed with a base hit and Wheeler rammed his second double of the game to give the Eagles a 4-3 lead.
Colton Hicks then followed with a fly ball to right but Kaden Curtis misplayed it into a two-run error and a 6-3 Eagle lead.
The Bulldogs got one back in the seventh when after a couple of walks, Harris blooped his third hit of the day into shallow right for a run-scoring single.
Sam Moore got the win for the Eagles, going four innings, giving up three runs and two hits.
Eitniear took the loss for Swanton.
