FARMINGTON – The Dulins Dodgers Nationals are back in the championship round as they look to defend their title after a 15-3 romp Friday afternoon over their organizational partners the Dulins Dodgers Americans.
Rallying from a 3-0 deficit, the Nationals scored 15 unanswered runs, twice batting around their lineup as they put the game away with eight runs in the fifth inning and six more runs in the sixth inning.
The Nationals have won four straight games after losing the opening night contest in bracket play to the NW 509 Stars. The road to championship weekend has at least one game to go, with the team guaranteed a spot in the finals.
“This is not an easy tournament and it’s really not easy when you’re working your way up through the losers’ bracket,” said Nationals head coach Chris Godwin. “But they’re veterans, they’ve been here, they know how to just turn the page, get back at it the next day, and that’s what they’ve done.”
The Americans struck first, scoring a run in the home half of the first inning after leadoff hitter Jace Elrod got aboard with a walk and was driven in off a fielders choice by Lucas Smith.
The Americans added to their lead in the bottom of the third inning. Brady Sommers and Mason Fritz got on board to lead off the inning, then were later driven in on a pair of ground ball outs from Reed Blakely and Asher Strait.
With the Nationals trailing 3-0, Tommy Baker led off the top of the fourth with a double before being driven by Carson Sharp’s double. A baserunning error cost them another potential run when Sharp was caught advancing to third, leaving the Nationals by a score of 3-1.
“In the beginning they were trying to do a little too much and every time we do that, we’re not very good,” said Godwin. “When we get up there and we’re selfless and we grind out at-bats—all of a sudden, you start putting stuff together and you just pass the baton to the next guy.”
The Nationals brought Austin Erickson onto the mound in the third inning, replacing starter Lincoln Perkins, who surrendered three runs on five hits in two innings.
The lead changed hands in the top of the fifth inning the first four batters reached for the Nationals. Jacob Pruett opened with a single, followed by a walk to John Clark and a single by Jace Elrod. All three runners eventually scored, thanks to back-to-back base hits by Jeff Claycomb and Tommy Baker.
“I coached (Claycomb) when he was younger and it’s just awesome to have him back with this group and be able to coach him and for him to do the things that he’s doing,” Godwin said.
Americans starting pitcher Collin Vaughan was pulled after from the mound without getting an out in the fifth. Brody Prather came on in relief but eventually loaded the bases thanks to walks from Sharp and Ashton Ballew.
Baker scored on a fielders choice to extend the Nationals lead to 6-3 and the Americans went back to the bullpen for the second time in the inning with Cooper Cass. The Nationals added another run on a Clark single scoring Christian May to go up 9-3.
Erickson threw four innings out of the bullpen and picked up the win, giving up just three hits and three walks of the shortened contest.
The Nationals tacked on six more runs in the top of the sixth inning, with Claycomb and Baker each adding a double and a run scored. May and Ballew finished the game with a combined six runs batted in, while Baker scored three times to aid the victory.
The Nationals will await the results of Friday’s 4 p.m. game between undefeated D-Bat and the one-loss Midland Redbirds. If D-Bat wins, they will face the Nationals later that night for a chance at the championship.