Sunday, April 27, 2008

Bulldogs take doubleheader, clinches playoff spot

Texarkana College vs. Lon Morris: Bulldogs take doubleheader, clinches playoff spot


Staff photo by Tanner Spendley Texarkana College’s Lance Marvel runs to third as Josh Gill makes his way to second. Marvel and Gill along with Trey Buck made it to home plate on the next play after Justin Coats hit a grand slam during the first game of a doubleheader against Lon Morris Saturday at George Dobson Field.
Texarakana College clinched a playoff spot with a sweep of Lon Morris Saturday at George Dobson Field.

With a six-run fourth inning, Texarkana College won the opener, 8-3. The Bulldogs belted three home runs en route to a 14-4 victory in the nightcap.

The teams were tied at 2-2, at the end of three innings before Justin Coats grand-slam home run highlighted the Bulldogs six-run fourth inning in the opener.

David Allday and Lance Marvel led off the inning with singles and Josh Gill drove in the first run with a single. Trey Buck then beat out a bunt to load the bases.

Coats then slammed relief pitcher Adam Leggett’s pitch over the left-field wall for a home run and a 7-2 lead. The final run came on a single by Gip Hendrix and an RBI single by Dean Malthouse.

The teams traded home runs in the first inning with Brad Cochrane hitting one for Lon Morris and winning pitcher David Phillips tied it at 1-1 with his shot to left field.

Texarkana went on top, 2-1, in the second and Lon Morris tied it up again, 2-2, in the third.

The Bulldogs (30-20, 16-12) banged out 10 hits with Malthouse and Gill leading the way with two each. Cochrane paced the visitors’ seven-hit atttack with the home run and three singles.

Cochrane gave Lon Morris a quick lead in the nightcap after doubles by Tell Ross and Cochrane. Cochrane later followed with two more hits, making it seven straight for the day.

Texarkana got the run back in the second on singles by Malthouse, Zach Fowler, and Marvel, and took the lead with an unearned run in the third.

The Bulldogs added two more runs on three hits in the fourth for a 4-1 lead. Marvel blasted a one-out home run, followed by a single by Allday, a double by Trey Buck, and sacrifice fly to right by Coats.

TC exploded for five runs in the eighth to run rule Lon Morris in the second game.

Phillips had a grand slam home run in the sixth, and Thomas Watson had a two-run blast in the five-run eighth. Watson finished with three hits and two RBI. Marvel had a solo shot in the fourth.

Allday added four hits for the Bulldogs.



FIRST GAME

Lon Morris 101 010 0 — 3 7 2

Texarkana 110 600 x — 8 10 2

Hector Plaza, Adam Leggett (4th) and Brad Cochrane. David Phillips, Cory Hill (6) and Dean Malthouse. WP-Phillips. LP-Leggett.

HR: Lon Morris, Brad Cochrane, 1st, none on. Texarkana, David Phillips, 1st, none on; Justin Coats, 4th, three on.



SECOND GAME

Lon Morris 100 010 20 — 4 12 1

Texarkana 011 214 15 — 14 16 1

Game called after eight innings, 10-run rule.

Ryan Mashinter and Steven Wostal. Josh Gill, Zach Gryder (7), Gip Hendrix (7) and Dean Malthouse.

HR: Texarkana, Lance Marvel, 4th, none on; David Phillips, 6th, 3 on; Thomas Watson, 8th, 1 on.