With three conference games left, the Bulldogs remain on top of the standings, thanks to two wins last week. Paynesville beat Melrose 10-3 and Albany 5-2.The wins raised the Bulldogs' unbeaten streak to nine games. The Bulldogs haven't lost since dropping their only conference game to St. Cloud Cathedral in April.
The streak has lifted the Bulldogs into 10th in the Class AA state ratings.
At Albany on Friday, the Bulldogs jumped to a 4-0 lead with two runs in the first and two more in the third. Albany rallied with runs in the third and fourth, but the Bulldogs added another run to their cushion in the fifth.
The top of the Bulldogs' batting order did all the damage against the Huskies. Lead-off hitter Ben Bork had two hits and scored a run; #2 hitter Jon Lieser had two hits and scored three runs; #3 hitter Scott Braun had a hit and an RBI; clean-up hitter Doug Fuchs had two hits, an RBI, and a run; and #5 hitter Adam Miller had two hits and two RBIs.
Fuchs (pictured at right) earned the pitching win with another complete game. He scattered eight hits and walked only one.
The Bulldogs' overall record is 13-2 now. Their record in the WCC North is 8-1.
| Paynesville-- | 202 | 010 | 0 | - 5 | 9 | 1 |
| Albany-- | 001 | 100 | 0 | - 2 | 8 | 1 |
Paynesville - Hitting: Ben Bork 2-4; Jon Lieser 2-3; Doug Fuchs 2-4 2B; Adam Miller 2-3; Runs: Lieser 3; Bork; Fuchs; RBIs: Miller 2; Fuchs; Braun; Pitching: (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) Fuchs (W) (7-8-2-2-1-5);
Albany - Hitting: Schlangen 2-3; Kuhn 2-3; Runs: Kuhn; Wehselar; Pitching: (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) Brandon Overmar (L) (7-9-5-4-0-7).
Paynesville 10
Melrose 3
Every starter had a hit, as the Bulldogs pounded out 14 hits, including six for extra bases, and scored 10 runs to beat Melrose on Tuesday, May 9.
Under the lights in Paynesville, the Dutchmen jumped ahead with three runs in the top of the first. They had four of their six hits in the inning.
The Bulldogs responded with two runs in the bottom of the first and five in the second. Fuchs hit a two-run homer in the first.
In the second, Miller, Curtis Christian, Nathan Schutz, and Justin Mackedanz started the inning with consecutive hits. Christian had a double. Lieser and Braun had singles with one out, as the Bulldogs plated five runs on six hits.
On the mound, Lieser cruised after the first inning. Over the final six innings, he allowed only two hits and one walk. He also stranded two batters who reached by error.
The Bulldogs scored an unearned run in the fifth and two runs in the sixth.
Lieser, Braun, Fuchs, Miller, and Mackedanz had two hits apiece for Paynesville.
The Bulldogs played Litchfield under the lights at PAHS last night. They will host Sauk Centre on Friday afternoon.
Their game against BBE, scheduled for tomorrow, will likely be rescheduled for Tuesday, May 23, as longs as the Bulldogs receive the top seed in their subsection tonight and a first-round bye.
Their game against Cathedral, scheduled for May 11, was postponed because of rain. It could be played on Thursday, May 25. However, if the Bulldogs have to play a subsection game that day, then they will have to play Cathedral, their rival in the conference standings, on Tuesday, May 23.
| Melrose-- | 300 | 000 | 0 | - 3 | 6 | 0 |
| Paynesville-- | 250 | 012 | x | - 10 | 14 | 3 |
Melrose - Hitting: Eric Marthaler 2-3; Nathan Klaphake 1-3 2B R; Grant Hess 1-4 2B R; Pitching: (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) Klaphake (6-14-10-10-1-3);
Paynesville - Hitting: Ben Bork 1-3 2B; Jon Lieser 2-3 2B; Scott Braun 2-4; Doug Fuchs 2-4 2B; Chris Rohe 1-3; Adam Miller 2-4 2B; Curtis Christian 1-3 2B; Nathan Schutz 1-3; Justin Mackedanz 2-3; Runs: Lieser 2; Mackedanz 2; Bork; Braun; Fuchs; Miller; Christian; Fleischhacker; RBIs: Braun 2; Fuchs 2; Lieser; Miller; Christian; Mackedanz; Pitching: (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) Jon Lieser (W) (7-6-3-3-2-6).