Bulldogs End Busy Week With Doubleheader Split

Wrapping up one of its busiest weeks of the season, Batavia’s baseball team earned a doubleheader split with arch-rival Geneva Saturday in the first-ever meeting between the two teams as Upstate Eight Conference River Division members.

In the opener, the host Bulldogs (9-14, 6-10) won 6-2 behind the pitching of Nick Pappas and Steven Patterson. Pappas worked the first 5 1/3 innings, allowing both of the Vikings’ runs in the first before giving way to Patterson, who retired the last five outs.

Offensively, the Bulldogs received a boost from a pair of sophomores, as recent call-up third baseman Danny Ritchason made the most of his first varsity start by lacing an RBI single during a three-run fourth that put Batavia on top for good.

Later in the inning, Rob Bowman launched his first varsity home run, a two-run shot to left-center that upped the Bulldogs’ lead to 6-2.

In the nightcap, senior right-hander Ben Allison, working on three days rest, was the losing pitcher during the Bulldogs’ 7-2 setback. Batavia bats were kept silent by Geneva senior Mike Monaghan, who tossed a complete game in his first start in more than two weeks.

One of the lone bright spots in the second game for the Bulldogs came when Bowman made a spectacular running, back-to-the-play catch in deep center to rob John Swiderski of an extra-base hit.

Batavia, which finished the week with a 2-3 record, went 1-2 during its three-game series with St. Charles North.

One day after blowing a 4-1 sixth-inning lead, the Bulldogs hung on for their lone triumph over the North Stars, 6-4, on May 4 in St. Charles.

Senior right-hander Joe Sortino picked up his first victory of the season, limiting the North Stars to two hits through five innings.

“I felt like I had something working and I had a good rhythm going,” said Sortino, who didn’t walk a batter in 6 1/3 innings of work.

Led by catcher Jay Clark’s 4-for-4 performance, the Bulldogs built a seemingly comfortable 6-1 lead heading into the seventh. But the North Stars roared back, as Dirk Schmitt’s two-run home run made it 6-3 and ended Sortino’s day. St. Charles North loaded the bases and scratched for another run before reliever Patterson recorded the final two outs on grounders back to the mound.

“I was scared,” admitted Clark, who hit a solo home run in the sixth to go with three singles. “When we got that second out, I started to feel like we’ve got this.”

Batavia shortstop Danny Seiton and second baseman Braden Hrack also turned a key double play to end a St. Charles North threat in the sixth.

“Those guys are shooting for a double play record,” said Bulldogs coach Matt Holm. “I’ll tell you when they break it because we’re not going there yet. They just keep turning them. You get out of jams that way.

“The great thing about these guys is that they are the Battlin’ Bulldogs,” Holm added. “They come out every day and play hard no matter how bad things have been going.”