Cardinals show rust in 9-3 loss to Bulldogs
Gabriel Pruett
The Orange Leader
BRIDGE CITY — The Nederland Bulldogs sure were effective Tuesday night at Cardinals’ Field.
The Bulldogs took advantage of a couple of Bridge City errors in a couple innings and then used the long ball late to win 9-3.
Nederland (1-0) scored three runs in the top of the second.
Trey Terracino reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second while the Cardinals (0-1) were busy chasing down Jude Vidrine in a hot-box for the inning’s second out.
Terracino would score on an error by the Cardinals.
Nederland right fielder Jacob Williamson ripped a RBI single to right to score Trey Sonnier who reached after being hit by a pitch to make it 2-0 Bulldogs.
Second baseman Anthony Babino then plated Cody Laird with a RBI single to left. Laird had reached on a single of his own.
Bridge City got two of the runs back in the bottom of the second after Dylan Mulhollan led off with a walk.
Anthony Cessac pushed Mulhollan over to second with a single to left.
With one out, center fielder Dustin Breaux smashed a two-run single to center to make it 3-2 Bulldogs.
The Cardinals tied the score at three in the bottom of the fourth.
Blake Snyder was hit by a pitch and moved on second on a Breaux fielder’ choice and then took third on a wild pitch.
Snyder would score when Grant Encalade hit a RBI single to left.
The Bulldogs then exploded in the fifth for four runs on three hits along with two Bridge City errors.
Babino, Kirby Bellow and Jude Vidrine all scored with Tyler Smith laced a three-run single to center field to make it 6-3 Nederland.
Smith had to leave the game with an injury while rounding first base.
Smith’s runner would come in to score after Sonnier hit a RBI single.
The Bulldogs got the final two runs in the top of the sixth after Babino led off by reaching on an error.
Stephen Schlett took care of the rest with a homer to deep center.
Matt Hicks started for the Cardinals and worked three innings. He gave up three hits and one walk while striking out six.
Bellow started for the Bulldogs and went two innings giving up two runs, three hits and one walk while striking out four.