Whitefish Baseball Splits with C-Falls, Eureka to Open Conference Play

Monday, April 15, 2024 at 11:01 AM

The Whitefish Bulldog Baseball team would open conference play over the weekend against rival Columbia Falls as well as Eureka.

The Dawgs would split the weekend action, defeating Columbia Falls while falling to Eureka on a walk-off.

Thursday:

The Whitefish Bulldogs hit the road for a cross town match-up with rival C-Falls.

The Dawgs entered the game winless on the season, knowing it was time to kick things into gear.

It was the Michael Miller show, Thursday, as the senior helped power the Dawgs to victory. Miller clobbered two Home Runs, drove in 4 RBI and picked up the win on the hill, delivering a solid 5 innings pitched, gave up 10 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), walked 1 and struck out 3.

Miller put the Dawgs on the board first, a solo home run, in the top of the second.

The Cats would answer with 2 in the bottom half of the inning.

Whitefish tied it up in the third, thanks to a balk from C-Falls starter, Kellen Kroger.

After C-Falls tacked on two more in the bottom of the third, it was all Whitefish from there.

The Dawgs used a 5-run fifth to completely change the course of this one, all with 2-outs. Miller delivered the biggest blow of the game a 3-run bomb to left center to put the Dawgs up for good.

Logan Stewart would close out the game, tossing the final two innings, to help the Dawgs secure their first win of the season, a 7-5 thriller to open conference play.

Miller, Ryan Conklin and Tait Orme all had 2 hits each for the Dawgs who tallied 10 total.

C-Falls was led by Cody Schweikert who went 3-4 with an RBI and Run Scored.

Friday:

The Dawgs returned to action the very next day, traveling up to Eureka for an afternoon tilt vs. Lincoln County.

Tait Orme got the start and battled through 4 inning pithched. He gave up 6 hits, 6 runs (5 earned) while striking out 5 and walking 3.

The offense continued to churn for Whitefish who jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, highlighted by a Christian Schwaderer 2RBI Double.

Eureka would respond in the bottom of the 2nd, plating 3 and tying up the game after 2 innings of action.

Whitefish would respond, once again, tallying 3-runs in the top half of the third.

This was a back-and-forth affair with Eureka never flinching. Whitefish led 7-6 after 5 innings of play and tacked on one more in the top of the 7th to lead 8-6 heading into the final inning. There was a swing in momentum after Michael Miller was thrown out at the plate after trying to tag up on a Calvin Eisenbarth Sac Fly. That Double Play gave Eureka all the momentum they needed.

The Lions came to the plate in the 7th down 2 and it was Tyce Van Orden playing the hero. Van Orden singled on a shot up the middle to score AJ Truman and the Lions walked it off to defeat Whitefish 9-8.

Errors were costly in this one as Whitefish committed 3 while Eureka had 2.

The Lions totaled 10 hits in this one while Whitefish had just 5.