Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 By MIKE MONTFORT
WEATHERFORD -- The beat goes on for 14th-ranked Navarro and its array of big booming bats.
Navarro competed a twinbill sweep of seven-inning games against Seward County CC's Saints and the Weatherford Coyotes at Roger Williams Ballpark. Coach Matt Podjenski's Bulldogs extended their early-season winning streak to three games with ease, wearing out the Kansas club 18-1 and tormenting the Coyotes by an 11-2 count.
Draw a line underneath and Saturday's summary adds another 29 runs and an equal number of hits to some mounting seven-game totals that are trending to stick. Sure, it's very early, but the Bulldogs are hitting .357 and on base at a .474 rate. They've scored 89 runs and watched that average production increase to almost 13 per game. Three times already they've scored 17 or more runs in a game. Against Jeff Lightfoot's Weatherford club this week, they've managed dizzying numbers like 29 runs and 29 hits.
Coors Field effect? Again, it's early, but the 'Dawgs have 11 batters with .300 averages or greater. Seven of them are in the rarified airzone of .400s.
Zac Vooletich leads the club with 13 runs and 14 hits -- seven of which have been for extra bases. RBI leaders Logan Letney (13) and Alex Vergara are coming off big efforts during Saturday's doubleheader. Preseason All-American shortstop Cash Rugely, on-base at a .586 clip after 29 plate appearances in six games, has a team-high eight walks.
Small sample-sizes, yes, but the 'Dawgs hope to continue to feed on early-season success Monday when No. 7 Grayson comes to Corsicana for a nine-inning, non-conference single game at Perry D. Graham Field. The Vikings posted a 9-5 win over Navarro on Day 2 at The Tournament of Champions sponsored by San Jacinto College. The Bulldogs also are scheduled to play a three-game series against the Temple Leopards beginning Friday, weather permitting.
As for Saturday's results:
GAME 2 -- NAVARRO 11, WEATHERFORD 2
Heavy-hitting NC raked 10 more hits in the nightcap and got two runs-batted-in apiece from Letney and
Chad Ricker during an 11-2 trouncing of the Weatherford Coyotes at Roger Williams Ballpark.
Ricker and Letney stroked doubles during a five-run fifth inning. Ricker's hit to right field, plated
Alex Vergara and
Cal Starks with the first runs of the uprising. Wesley Valasek and Letney came home on Letney's two-base hit to centerfield.
Following a
Tallon Heine single that advanced Letney to third,
Zac Vooletich promptly cracked a first-pitch double to right that enabled Letney to score.
Letney increased NC's lead to 9-1 in the seventh inning when he scored after a bases-loaded balk.
Ethan Ruiz' liner to right was misplayed into an additional two runs.
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SCORE BY INNINGS.....................R-H-E
Navarro................003...050...3 -- 11-10-0
Weatherford..........001...010...0-- 2-6-0
PITCHING: NC --
Jake Combs, AJ Ozorio-Brace (5). WC -- Kade Briggs, Bristol Carson, B West (7)
BATTING:
GAME 1 -- NAVARRO 18, SEWARD COUNTY CC, Ks., 1 (7 Innings)
The Bulldogs pounded 10 extra-base hits among their 19 total, including seven doubles. Letney knocked in five runs; Vergara, four. Vooletich was 4-for-5 with 2 doubles and a triple, 8 total bases and scored four runs.
Ethan Ruiz socked his first homer of the season for NC in its run-ruled victory.
SCORE BY INNINGS.......................R-H-E
Navarro....................230...320..8 -- 18-19-0
Seward County..........000...010..0 -- 1- 7-4
PITCHING: W -- NC: Randall. L -- Goldy.
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BATTING:
