Top Of 3rd At HV, An Example Of What We Think We Had In 2020.

As we all wait to hear the fate of the 2019-2020 school year, I am so proud of the 2020 Hampton Baseball Bulldogs.  I want to highlight the top of the 3rd inning in our Thursday, March 12 win at Happy Valley, a win, I have been told, is Hampton Baseball’s first win AT Happy Valley since the 1970’s or 1980’s.  

1. Weston Street led off the inning with a drag bunt for a base hit on the 3B line.

2.  #2 hitter in the lineup, Caleb Royston sacrifice bunted W. Street over to second base to put him in scoring position. 

3. #3 hitter, Dalton Rouse hit a 2-Run HR over the right field wall to give the visiting team a 4-1 lead. 

4. Cleanup hitter, lefty swinging, righty throwing, Josh Owens followed with a double in the right-center gap that initially looked like it might leave the yard.  

5. Senior, Hunter Mignault courtesy ran for the pitcher, Owens and promptly advanced to 3B on a passed ball.  

6. Elijah Grahm Smith, who followed Owens in the batting order, pushed a bunt on the 1B line as Mignault was off on the pitch, to give Smith an RBI and the visiting Bulldogs a 5-1 lead on the successful suicide squeeze.

This inning highlighted what we felt was a versatile lineup that had some depth to it, that was playing without three 2019 starters who were still in basketball.  

Regardless of what we learn in the coming days, the 2020 Hampton Baseball Bulldogs, in the sample size they got to play, showed we were a much, much improved baseball club, one that can always hold its head high!