WF falls to the Harrisburg Bulldogs in the regional semifinals

by Steve Dunford 

HARRISBURG, IL –The West Frankfort Redbird baseball team ended up their season with a 10-12 record, bowing out to the Harrisburg Bulldogs 8-2 on Thursday.  Harrisburg advances to the championship game of their own regional playing the Benton Rangers today.  Because of rain, the game has been rescheduled to 4:30 Monday afternoon.

In the first two pitches of the ball game, it looked like Harrisburg hurler Dalton Lambert was going to have a rough afternoon.  The first pitch of the ball game SS Noah Vance knocked the ball over the LF wall for a home run.  Redbird catcher Peyton Overturf picked up a base hit and scored on a throwing error.  Lucas Wolfe helped himself with a base hit.

The crooked number on the scoreboard for West Frankfort after one half inning was the only runs they would pick up on the afternoon as they led 2-0.

Lambert mowed down the Redbirds as he pitched a complete game, only allowing two hits the rest of the way, striking out eight and walking no one.  He hit four batters on the afternoon.  He helped his own cause going 3-3 from the plate.

Harrisburg put up four runs in the bottom of the first on six base hits.  Lambert, catcher Isaac Crabb, and LF Jack Martin doubled.  Center fielder Jordan Gould, 1B Presley Gauch, and RF Jack Martin picked up base hits.

Brendan Russell picked up a base hit with one out in the top second inning.  A double play erased a potential rally.

Harrisburg put up two more runs in the bottom of third on three singles in a row from Lambert, Gauch, and Crabb.  After three it was 6-2 Harrisburg.

The Redbirds stranded two runners in the top of the fourth.  Wolfe was hit by a pitch and stole second.  Bryson Dorris reached on an error.  Lambert strkes out the side as WF could not get anything going.

Harrisburg tacks on two more in the bottom of the fourth as the fire balling sophomore Brendan Jonson comes out of the pen to give up a couple base hits.  He had three errors committed behind him allowing two unearned runs.  Dorris makes a diving stop at second to field a screaming line drive to bail the Redbirds out.  After four it was an 8-2 Harrisburg.

Johnson had a perfect fifth and sixth inning, and the Redbirds strand two runners in the top of the seventh as Dorris was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.  Pinch hitter Andrew Strugil picks up a one out single. The Redbrids could not capitalize, as it was an 8-2 Final in favor of the Bulldogs.

Harrisburg improved to 14-18.  They will square off against the Benton Rangers 27-6 in the Harrisburg Class 2A regional, Monday at 4:30 p.m.

BOX SCORE

WEST FRANKFORT 

HR: Vance  SB Overturf, Wolfe

HARRISBURG

2B Lambert, Crabb, Martin

LINE SCORE