The Trenton Bulldogs lifted the lid on their first season of baseball with a Saturday doubleheader at Burleigh Grimes Field, with THS taking a split against the visiting North Harrison Shamrocks.
The opener saw Trenton’s bats silenced by Shamrock southpaw Collin Castleberry, who held the Bulldogs to just one hit in five innings of work, striking out 10, in a 6-1 North Harrison victory. North Harrison was the beneficiary of Trenton miscues in the top of the first inning, as four walks, two hit batters, and a two-base fielding error conspired to put the home team in an early 4-0 hole.
Trenton starter Avery Cooksey settled down from the shaky start to put up zero’s in the second and third innings, while the Bulldogs scored their first ever run in the bottom of the third, on an RBI single by Cooksey, scoring Colton Colston. Trenton, down 4-1, missed out on a second and third, one out opportunity in the bottom of the fifth, and came up empty again in the 6th inning with runners in scoring position.
In the top of the 7th, the THS defense sprung a leak, with back-to-back errors, along with a steal, putting runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. A Castleberry two-run single finished the scoring.
Spencer Harris pitched superbly for the Bulldogs, firing 3 2/3 innings and giving up two runs, but both unearned. The senior struck out eight Shamrocks. Mason Owen struck out the only batter he faced, ending the 7th.
With Castleberry unable to pitch the second game, the Bulldogs pounded the baseball against the depth of the North Harrison pitching staff in Game #2, rallying from a 7-5 deficit midway through the contest to rout the Shamrocks, 15-7.
The Trenton offense put 14 hits on the board, with Jaren Whitney, Spencer Harris, Avery Cooksey, and Hunter Dugan connecting on doubles, with all four going for two hits, along with Jesse Farmer and Cade Darting.
Dugan pitched the first 3 1/3 innings for Trenton, and was relieved by Colston in a troublesome 4th inning that saw the Shamrocks score six times. Colston pitched 1 2/3 innings of shutout baseball, while Farmer earned the win with two innings of work, allowing two hits with two strikeouts.
The Bulldog base-runners, part of what could be a strategic move for a lineup that appears to have more speed than power, stole 12 bases against North Harrison in the second game, including three each from Dugan and Colston.
Saturday’s opener from Burleigh Grimes Field was broadcast on KTTN FM 92.3. The Bulldogs Grand River Conference opener will be Tuesday (March 21st) afternoon, playing at Braymer in a 5 o’clock first pitch. Trenton will host Chillicothe on Thursday afternoon (4:30/ Hot Country Z 101.7) and travel to Lathrop on Friday.
