Murphy – The “Diamond Dogs” lost two to Swain County and one to Polk County, Tenn., last week.
Murphy opened the week at Bryson City and fell to the Maroon Devils 18-7 on April 23. Murphy opened the game by taking a four-run lead into the bottom of the first inning. Tommy Crapse reached on an error, Alex Roldan walked, and Zack Skogen walked to load the bases with one out.
Crapse scored on a passed ball on a pitch. Cameron Clem scored Roldan when he doubled. Skogen and Clem crossed the plate via Zack Hogsed’s single, and Murphy led 4-0.
Swain (10-5) closed the lead early, as Murphy helped with a couple of errors and a walk to load the bases. The first runs scored via two more walks, while a third scored on a passed ball before the Dogs could retire the Devils. Murphy led 4-3 at the end of one, and that was the Dogs’ last time in the lead.
Swain added four more runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 7-4 lead and never looked back. Murphy got close in the top of the third when Adam Cook walked and Skogen to give the Dogs two on with no outs.
One out later, Hogsed walked to load the bases, and with two outs Aayden Williams singled to score Cook and Skogen. That made it 7-6 going into the bottom of the third.
However, Swain exploded for four runs in the bottom of the third and seven more in the bottom of the fourth to give the Devils a 18-6 lead. Murphy could score only one more run in the top of the fifth.
Murphy pitching gave up 18 runs on eight hits, but only 12 of those runs were earned. Murphy pitchers walked 12, struck out five and hit two.
Things for the Dogs didn’t get any better in their second game of the week on April 25, when Murphy made a trip to Polk County, Tenn., (10-12) to take on the Wildcats. Murphy jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Alex Roldan singled, stole a base and scored on an Adam Cook single.
After that hit, Murphy would not have a base-runner for the rest of the game, as the Dogs went 2-17 at the plate. Polk pitcher Kolton Carson gave up one run on two hits, striking out 12 and walking none.
Meanwhile, Murphy was not having that kind of day on the mound. Polk loaded the bases in the bottom of the first via two walks and a hit batter. Two Murphy errors helped score those three runs, and another error scored those two runs to give Polk a 5-1 lead.
Polk loaded the bases in the second and its cleanup batter, Zaden Branham, did his job by hitting a grand slam. Polk added another run before closing out the second inning to put the Cats ahead 10-1. Polk added two more in the fourth to end the game early 12-1.
When Swain came to Murphy on Friday, the Devils started out like they had left off, as Rowan Ellis gave Swain a 1-0 lead with a leadoff homer in the first inning. Murphy pitching then settled in and held the Devils scoreless for the next two innings.
Swain exploded for five runs in the fifth inning. They started the inning off with two hits to put two base-runners on with no outs. After one out, a single scored one, while two errors scored the next two runs, with a sacrifice fly to boot.
The Devils built a 6-0 lead at the top of the fourth inning, when Murphy finally got on the board. Roldan led off with a single before Adam Cook reached on a fielder’s choice. Cook later scored when a Swain fielder couldn’t make the play off the bat of Hogsed, making it 6-1 Swain.
Murphy had just began to fight, as the Dogs held the Devils scoreless in the fifth and tied the score in the bottom of the inning. Ayden Williams led off with a single, and Crapse singled to score Williams. Cook brought Crapse home with a two-out single.
Zkogen followed that up with a single to score Cook, and Cameron Clem reached on an error to score Skogen. Clem would later score on a passed ball to know the score at six apiece at the end of five innings. Swain would add five runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh, while holding the Bulldogs to only two more runs on three hits over the final two stanzas.
“It’s been an up-and-down season, but with as many new faces we had on the team this year it was expected. I do think we lost a couple games that we should have won, but the boys have worked hard every day at practice and continue to compete in every game,” coach Tyler Edwards said. “I still firmly believe if we can put a full game together, we have the talent to beat anyone, and I hope we can prove that these last two games.”
The Dogs will finish their regular season Thursday, when they play host to Robbinsville at 4:30 p.m.