Losing and winning...

A spirited comeback by the BCA Bulldogs fell short yesterday as the West Houston Thunder came to Baytown and defeated our boys 9-7 in eight innings. Trailing 7-3 and down to our last at-bat, the offense came to life and tied the game to send it to extra innings. With the winning run standing on third base, Clay Wiseman hit a line drive to centerfield that hung up in the wind long enough for the Thunder outfielder to sprint in, make the catch and pour water on the fire that was the BCA rally.

The loss spoiled another fantastic outing on the mound by junior hurler Wiseman, who threw five strong innings against a speedy and thunderous lineup. He racked up five strikeouts and allowed three earned runs, though two scored that shouldn't have after a routine fly ball to left field was misplayed into a double. Poor outfield play led to three of the West Houston runs in the game, as the aggressive Thunder sluggers hit two towering, but routine, fly balls to left field that were misjudged and misplayed into extra base hits. Errors happen, though, both mental and physical. The loss can equally be attributed to a bullpen meltdown and a very lackadaisical approach in the batters box for much of the day.

With runners in scoring position throughout the game, our Bulldog lineup couldn't seem to get the big hit. Wiseman, Jake Garcia, Boogie Russell, Ryan Bertram, Tyler Beasley, and Cameron Johnson all reached base multiple times, but the clutch hits to score runs were scarce until the seventh. Bertram led the way once again, crushing his seventh round-tripper of the season along with a line-drive double as he reached base safely in all four of his at-bats. Tyler Beasley also had a productive game, smashing two doubles in his five trips to the plate. Wiseman and Johnson each recorded multi-hit games, while the other hitters in the lineup were stifled by the Thunder moundsmen.

While not our best effort, we can be proud of our team as we battled back and forced extra innings against a tough opponent. West Houston was the most athletic and skilled team we have faced in several weeks and their speed put pressure on our defense all game long. In addition, injuries left us no choice but to use some of our younger and most inexperienced players in pressure situations that they had not yet seen. Though the loss, our first of the season on our home field, counts against us in the standings, it provides valuable experience for our entire roster. To find one's self all but defeated - standing in the middle of the ring bloodied by a fierce opponent, yet still fighting back and refusing to quit- is the type of experience that breeds confidence and growth and provides a well to drink from in the future when times are tough.

With our record now 16-8, we have a long weekend before returning to our field on Monday afternoon to take on HCYA in another contest that should provide a healthy dose of competition. With less than a month before the state finals, we believe that yesterday's loss, more importantly, the character we showed in fighting back, will prove to be a spark to help us continue to grow into that which we all seek to be - champions!