By MIKE MONTFORT

Many things made Whoa Dill's return to coach Navarro Baseball a successful one Friday.

Dill, coaching the Bulldogs for the first time since 2014, savored all the positives from his team's convincing 11-5 season-opening victory over preseason No. 1 and reigning NJCAA Champion McLennan here at Perry D. Graham Field.  

The fast, fresh start for ninth-ranked Navarro meant more to the coach than just numbers -- like 308 wins in 465 games while a ninth year as Bulldog head coach resumes.

How the Bulldogs won Opening Day of the three-game weekend series was most important for the moment that prevented Mitch Thompson's Highlanders from further extending a 23-game winning streak held over from The JUCO World Series days.

Dill's Bulldogs scored 11 unanswered runs over seven innings.  They got solid starting pitching from righthander Seth Foster, plus a nine-hit attack that featured multiple RBI from second baseman Ethan Bates, designated hitter Wesley Jordan, centerfielder Campbell Sullivan and catcher Caden Koerbacher.  Six of Navarro's nine hits were of the extra-base variety. 

Foster threw 74 pitches while working a four-hit shutout through five innings on sunny, but chilly afternoon. While walking two and striking out two batters, Foster benefitted from his defense as the Bulldogs turned double plays in each of the first three innings.

Showing quick and early support of Foster, the Bulldogs nicked McLennan's righthanded starter Will Carsten (10-1 in 2021) for two first-inning runs and a lead they never relinquished.

Jordan pounded a one-out triple off the right-centerfield wall scored Tyler Dickey with the game's first run. Moments later, Jordan raced home after Bates' groundout.

Foster and the 'Dogs protected the 2-0 lead into the sixth when Navarro paraded 11 batters to the plate against relievers Nick Greaney and Gray Harrison in a six-run outburst.  No. 8 hitter Caden Koerbacher, who had two hits and two stolen bases, produced a run-scoring single.  Dickey belted a run-scoring double, and Bates capped the rally with a three-run home run to centerfield.

NC widened its lead with three more runs in the bottom of the seventh, thanks to back-to-back doubles from Koerbacher and Sullivan and Jordan's ground out to shortstop.

The teams complete their series with a noon Saturday doubleheader at Bosque River Ballpark in Waco. 

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