The top-rated team in Florida’s Class 5A justified its #1 position with a resounding win over 4A’s #3 team as the Bulldogs from the Bolles School of Jacksonville defeated the Trinity Christian Conquerors 10-2 Friday night at Trinity. The Bulldogs scored multiple runs in three separate innings, including a trio in the top of the first and a four-spot in the sixth to gain their 20th win of the season.
Bolles got a run early and then loaded the bases with nobody out right out of the gate on a walk, a double, a hit batsman, and a second walk. The double from Conner Stoll nearly left the yard and plated lead-off man Jackson Mayo, who walked to start the rally. A sacrifice fly from Will Shepherd landed safely for an error and resulted in two runs as both Stoll and Chance Moore (hit by pitch) crossed the make the score 3-0.
The Conquerors came back with two in the bottom of the first on Ethan Dage’s RBI bloop double that dropped right between two Bolles outfielders and allowed Conner Aldrich (hit by pitch) to score. Matt Crump later drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in Dylan Simmons (single) to complete the two-out rally. Those runs, though, were all the Conquerors would score.
Jackson Baumeister (W: 5-0, 0.00 ERA) pitched four scoreless innings in relief of starter Hunter Barco. All 12 outs Baumeister recorded came via the strikeout – including seven straight batters from the end of the fourth through the sixth. The FSU commit allowed two hits while walking four. Baumeister has now pitched 31 innings in 2019 without allowing an earned run. He has struck out 58 batters in those 31 innings.
Barco, the future Florida Gator, lasted two innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits, four walks, and three strikeouts. Shepherd (Dartmouth) pitched a scoreless seventh inning to close it out.
Simmons (L: 4-5, 4.04) started for the Conquerors and allowed five runs, three earned, on four hits and four walks while striking out seven in three innings.
Bryson Kirksey and Jack Brady each added run-scoring singles in the third, and Brady drove in a run in the fifth with a ground ball. Brady then racked up his third RBI of the night with a base hit in the Bulldogs’ four-run sixth. In that inning, pinch hitter Luke Jenkins laced a two-run triple off the left-field fence two batters after Shepherd’s RBI double. Both Shepherd and Cal Henrichsen scored twice.
Bolles (20-2, 5-0 in 5A, District 3) will end its regular season with two home games on Monday and Tuesday, April 29 and 30. The Bulldogs will host Eagles View Academy Monday at 4:00 p.m. and Stanton College Prep Tuesday at 6:00.
The Conquerors (16-8-1, 4-1 in 4A, D2) will host Ridgeview Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. and finish the season at Ponte Vedra at 6:00 on Thursday, May 2.
Baseball’s district playoffs begin on Monday, May 6.
