Junior pitcher Craig Bullock was chasing perfection throughout much of the night on the mound for the Seminary Bulldogs. While an error and single in the fifth cost Bullock a chance at a perfect game, the right-handed pitcher still pitched a gem, throwing five and two-thirds innings with two strikeouts, while allowing just one hit and one run on the evening as the Bulldogs defeated Northeast Jones 6-1.
“He [Bullock] has been great for us this year,“ said Seminary head coach Clay Bush, “he has pitched both sides of the plate well and hits the spots that he is supposed to. He carried a perfect game into the fifth inning, so that is all you can ask of your starter.”
Neither team’s offense could push anything across home plate in the first two innings as both Bullock and Northeast Jones senior pitcher Mason Smith was dealing on the mound, throwing scoreless baseball.
Things changed for the Bulldogs in the top of the third as PD Youngblood drew a walk, then advanced to third after a sac bunt and wild pitch. A two-out single from senior Conner Jones gave Seminary a 1-0 lead. Smith ended the inning with a strikeout, but neither team could push any more runs through the bottom third and fourth innings.
Jones struck again with his second two-out single of the night in the top of the fifth after sophomore Donovan Hale singled then advanced to third. Jones sent Hale home for his second RBI of the game off of his single.
“Conner has been big for us at the plate because he is a hard out. His power is good, and he can be a hard two-strike hitter for a pitcher to deal with,” said Bush about Conner Jones.
Seminary loaded the bases in the top of the fifth as Smith’s night ended with 12 strikeouts. He handed over the mound to Sam Mansell. The Bulldogs then scored as Hale was struck by a pitch to bring in Blaten Jones. Mansell quickly handed pitching duties over to sophomore Carson Ellis who got the final out of the inning.
Northeast Jones scored their lone run in the bottom of the sixth as Smith hit a sac fly to bring in Nickey who reached base on a Seminary error.
The top of the seventh saw Seminary seal the game as two errors, a single, and a double brought in three Bulldogs to extend their lead 6-1.
“We just wanted t get runners on. They scored late in the game to make it 3-1, so the mentality was that we wanted to get our run back that we gave them. We ended up coming through with three there at the end, so it was big for us,” said Bush.
Bush was also complimentary of Northeast Jones’ Mason Smith who finished with a game-high 12 strikeouts.
“We kind of had to just stick with it. He throws the ball so hard and was locating his fastball and curveball for strikes. We just had to try and get some good swings on the ball, and try to find a hole every once and a while.”
Seminary moves to 8-2 overall on the season while Northeast Jones falls to 9-3 overall.
