Bulldogs hang on to early lead for win over two-time state champs Ariton

Andalusia and two-time 2A defending state champions Ariton met Friday at LBW Community College’s Crum Foshee Field where the Bulldogs scored early and then held on for a 3-2 victory over the Purple Cats, who came into the game with 24 wins on the season.

Andalusia played small-ball to score all three of their runs in the bottom of the first inning. Things got going for the Bulldogs with a leadoff walk by Riley Cravey. With courtesy runner Neilex Ferrell put on first for Cravey, Asher Bentley put down a sacrifice, moving Ferrell to second, but also reached himself on an error. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, putting runners at second and third base for Row Thorn who hit a sacrifice to centerfield, scoring Ferrell for a 1-0 lead and moving Bentley to third.

Grover Wells followed with a base hit to left, bringing in Bentley for a 2-0 lead. Another single off the bat of Landen Butler put runners at the corners for Andalusia with one out.

Kielan Davis made the score 3-0, bringing Wells home on a sacrifice fly to centerfield.

Ariton got its leadoff man on to start the second, but a double-play ball hit to Thorn at the shortstop position was perfectly executed to keep the Purple Cats off the board.

Ariton again threatened in the third with runners at first and third, but a line-drive to Wells in centerfielder was hauled in for the third out.

Andalusia’s lead was reduced to 3-1 in the top of the fifth when an Ariton runner scored on a wild pitch. The Purple Cats made it a one-run game, 3-2, in the sixth with a leadoff single that resulted in a run on an error later in the inning.

Cravey earned the victory on the mound for the Bulldogs in a complete-game effort. Over seven innings, Cravey gave up two runs on five hits with two strikeouts.

Landen Butler had two hits for the Bulldogs. Wells and Davis each had one hit with an RBI.

With the win, Andalusia improves to 10-8-1 on the season.

The Bulldogs are scheduled to travel to Charles Henderson High School on Thursday, April 10, with a start time of 6 p.m. On Friday, April 11, Charles Henderson will come to Andalusia with a start time of 7 p.m.