GUNNISON—The Bulldogs got very much off on the wrong foot last Wednesday.
Gunnison Valley baseball allowed 11 runs in the first inning of a non-region matchup with cross-county foe North Sanpete, starting off a week-long struggle as they lost 17-7 to the Hawks, then lost again to Duchesne last Friday, 12-10. The Bulldogs dropped to 7-13 overall with a 4-5 record in the 2A East Region.
With five games left in their regular season schedule, the loss to Duchesne guaranteed that Gunnison will finish the regular season with a losing record for the first time since before the turn of the century.
Junior Easton Newman led the Bulldogs in the losing effort, hitting a grand slam at the top of the fourth inning to finish with five RBI.
Senior Myles Bartholomew started at the mound for Gunnison, but after allowing eight hits before the first inning had ended, he was relieved and did not return. Coach Max Sanders tried five total pitchers in the game, but all of them struggled as they allowed a total of 14 hits as a group.
Against Duchesne, the pitching woes continued. Two pitchers, Newman and junior Zach Brackett, combined to allow 13 hits to three strikeouts. Fielding also struggled, committing a total of seven errors. The hitting improved, however, as they collected 10 hits. Seniors Tray Cox and Tate King and junior Jake Sorensen each had two RBI. Sorensen hit two doubles, and junior Colter King hit a triple.
Gunnison faced a 7-0 deficit at the top of the fourth inning before finally getting on the board, mounting a furious comeback of seven runs in the next two innings to tie up the score heading into the seventh. Duchesne scored five runs in the final inning, and Gunnison couldn’t match it.
The Bulldogs take on North Sevier on the road this Tuesday before a road doubleheader on Friday against North Summit.
