Bison give up hard-fought battles

Shortstop Aaron Bell snagged a line drive, then tagged the runner diving back to second, completing an unassisted double play. Van’Go’photo Despite plenty of plays that would make the highlight reels, the Bison baseball team dropped two more district games last week, falling to Groveton at home and Trinity on the road.

GROVETON

The “Western Classic” (Indians versus Bison) was an exciting game. AB Bell was the starting pitcher for BHS. He walked two batters and both runners scored on a solid single by the fifth batter.

Tate Hartley started things off for Buffalo reaching on an error. Ryan Read single over the shortstop’s head and Hartley was picked off on the fielder’s choice. Bell followed with a standup double, but the next batter flew out. Read tagged up and headed home, but was out at the plate and Bell was stranded.

In the second inning, GHS pushed a third run across the plate to lead 3-0. Bell threw two strikeouts and the Bison defense sat them down with the bases loaded. In the bottom of the inning, Buffalo was retired in three batters.

Tate Hartley hustles for home. Van’Go’photo Read came in to pitch for BHS in the third, but gave up a double and the Indian’s 4th run scored.

Buffalo’s offense came on strong in the bottom of the third. Jose Dominguez walked and Read beat the ball to first. Bell connected for a double, stretched it into a triple and stole home on an overthrown ball, shortening the Indians’ lead to one, 3-4.

In the top of the fourth, the Indian batters blooped one to Read, flew out to Dominguez and popped up to Taylor McGill. In BHS’ at bat, Jacob Rodell had a safe hit to shallow rightfield, but was stranded.

The Bison sat the Indians down in three, with Bell at short making an unassisted double play for outs #2 and #3. Dominguez took a base on balls, putting the tying run on first, but he was stranded.

“Good job!” Coach Jack Ard congratulates Ryan Read on his stand-up triple in the Bison/Groveton contest. Van’Go’photo In the sixth inning, the Bison kept the Indians from scoring, then scored two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. Dylan Ansley reached on a dropped third strike and went on second on an overthrown ball. With two outs, Rodell took a base on balls, bringing up Ty Tollett. The freshman connected with a stand-up double over the right fielder’s head, scoring two RBIs and bringing the score to 5-4, Buffalo.

The Bison didn’t get to enjoy the lead for long. Groveton put together a big inning in the seventh, scoring six runs on Read and relief pitcher Travis King, to go up 5-10. In BHS’ last at-bat, Hartley started things off with a double, and Read followed with a triple that scored Hartley. King had a standup double to the fence that scored Read, but three strike outs finished the inning and the game with Buffalo going down 7-10.

TRINITY

The Bison travelled to Trinity on Friday afternoon for a game that got off to a late start as the teams waited 40 minutes for officials to show up. They made up for lost time by calling a tight game, broadcast by KBHT.

Hartley and Read singled in the first, but Hartley was out at second on a fielder’s choice and Read stranded at third. With Tollett on the mound and the defense playing well, the Bison set the Tigers down in three.

Rodell walked to start the second, advanced on a sacrifice by Logan Beard and another by Tollett, but was stranded. The defense again gave up nothing.

In the top of the third, Bell stepped up with a two-out linedrive home run, and King was stranded at first. In the bottom of the inning, Trinity answered with a two-run homer of their own, then a strikeout and nice plays by Bell at shortstop and Rodell in left ended the inning.

Beard had a base hit in the 4th and McGill reached on an error, but both runners were stranded. Trinity pushed one run across in the bottom of the inning to lead 1-3, and left two men stranded with pop-ups to Hartley and Ansley.

In the fifth, Bell took a base on balls, stole second, stole third and scored when an overthrown ball went into the dugout, cutting the Tigers’ lead to one, 2-3. Rodell walked and Beard singled to center but both men were stranded.

THS added their 4th run in the bottom of the inning. The last two innings were scoreless and Buffalo had to go home with their hats in hand, losing 2-4.

This week Buffalo hosts Corrigan on Tuesday, April 13, and Onalaska on April 16th. The final week of play takes them to Anderson-Shiro and Groveton.