Defense Hurts Bulldogs In 6-1 Loss To Knights

On a sunny afternoon in Bellevue, the Newport Knights defeated the Garfield Bulldogs 6-1, led by a strong pitching performance from their starting pitcher, who went the distance only allowing 6 Bulldogs hits. Garfield’s offense was led by Tavish Fenbert, who had 2 hits and reached base in all 3 of his at-bats, scoring the Bulldogs lone run. Chandler Honican also had a good day at the plate, recording 2 hits, going deep into the count in each of his at-bats. Justin Arkills-McLain provided a solid outing on the mound for the Bulldogs, but the defense struggled behind him, running up his pitch count and allowing extra Newport baserunners, which came around to hurt the Bulldogs later. The game was close until the bottom of the 4th when Newport pulled away with 3 runs. The top defensive play was Ben Koerner’s nice catch on a high pop-up behind the dish in foul territory.
Garfield is now 3-6 overall, 2-3 in conference play after the first round of playing its divisional opponents. Starting next week, the teams crossover to play the other Kingco 4A division, with Garfield traveling to Redmond on Monday night and then having a bye on Wednesday while the rest of the conference plays.
The JV team lost 12-8 at home against Newport, coming from behind to make the game interesting at the end. Newport got up early and looked like they had the game put away, but the Bulldogs were able to get the bats going late after falling behind by 10 runs. Luc Carlin went 3 for 4 at the plate with 2 diving plays at second base for the Bulldogs. Jeremy Pilgrim-Stoppel was 3 for 4 with 4 RBI. Garfield JV (2-6, 0-4 in conference) plays a makeup game on the road at Skyline on Saturday and then is at home against Redmond on Monday afternoon.

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Arkills-McLain Walk-Off Single KOs Roughriders 5-4

The Garfield Bulldogs came from behind against the Roosevelt Roughriders to knock off their city rivals. Roosevelt’s starting pitcher retired the first 11 batters he faced before Chandler Honican, fresh off a battle with the flu, broke up the perfect game in the bottom of the 4th inning with a single to right-center field. Garfield was able to score 3 runs in the 5th inning to take a 3-1 lead on a RBI single by Tavish Fenbert in his Varsity debut, a sacrifice fly by Hayes Gorecki, and a RBI single by Derek Billey. Bulldogs starter Owen Vickrey threw 5 great innings, allowing only 2 hits and 1 run. The Riders roughed up the Bulldogs relief pitcher Duncan Skerrett in the 6th inning to even the score at 3. Skerrett responded by leading off the bottom of the 6th inning with an inside-the-park home run down the right field line to put the Bulldogs ahead 4-3. Roosevelt was able to score another run off Gorecki in the 7th to even it up. Garfield loaded the bases in the 7th inning with 2 outs, setting the table for right fielder Justin Arkills-McLain to hit a walkoff single to right-center. It was the second walkoff hit at Garfield by Arkills-McLain this spring. The Bulldogs team mobbed the clutch hitting outfielder on the field after Honican scored the game-winning run. Defensive highlights included an outfield assist at home plate on a throw by the left fielder Skerrett as well as an over-the-shoulder catch by Dominick Lewis deep down the left field line on his first play after entering the game as a defensive sub.
With the win, Garfield Varsity moves to 2-2 in league play, 3-5 overall. Their next scheduled game is Friday at Newport. After a 12-2 loss at Roosevelt, the JV team has a record of 0-3 in conference and 2-5 overall. Garfield JV will host Newport on Friday afternoon.

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Beavers Blast Bulldogs 11-1

The Ballard Beavers jumped out to an early 8-0 lead on a sunny and warm spring afternoon and never looked back, easily routing the Garfield Bulldogs 11-1 in 5 innings. The Bulldogs top defensive highlight was a strong throw by center fielder Derek Billey to third base to nail the trailing runner, who had been tagging on a fly ball. The tag was applied for the 3rd out of the inning, just before the lead runner crossed home plate, so the run did not count. Henry Freed made a couple nice plays to his right on grounders at first base, hustling to the base to beat the runner for the out. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs were unable to get much of anything going offensively. Garfield’s offense scored its lone run in the top of the 5th inning on a Duncan Skerrett single, scoring Billey from second base.
Ballard’s lineup looked strong from top to bottom, creating a balanced attack off Bulldogs starting pitcher Toby Perkins. The Beavers had 18 baserunners in 4-2/3 innings before the contest was called due to the 10-run mercy rule. With the victory, Ballard retained sole possession of 1st place in the division.
Garfield’s conference record fell to 1-2, with a 2-5 overall record on the season. The next Varsity game is on Wednesday at home against Roosevelt. The Bulldogs two senior captains are expected to be back in the starting lineup after missing today’s game.
Garfield JV lost 21-7 in a lopsided contest against Ballard. Eli Wilson of Garfield went 2 for 4 with 4 RBI. The JV Bulldogs (2-4 overall, 0-2 in conference) play at Roosevelt on Wednesday afternoon.

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Bulldogs Even Conference Record With 5-2 Win Over Issaquah

The Garfield Bulldogs put it all together in their victory over the Issaquah Eagles. Great pitching, solid defense, timely hitting, and aggressive baserunning were the recipe for Garfield’s success. Although it had snowed in Seattle earlier in the morning, it was nothing but sunshine all afternoon. A bit chilly, but still a great day for baseball in the Northwest.
Starter Justin Arkills-McLain lasted 5 innings, allowing only an unearned run. Relief pitcher Duncan Skerrett held a 3-run lead in the 6th before making it interesting in the 7th with a few walks, eventually giving way to Toby Perkins to pick up his first career save. Derek Billey had 2 hits, 2 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases. Chandler Honican also had 2 hits and 1 RBI for the Bulldogs. The game was exciting from start to finish with the Eagles leaving the bases loaded at the end of the game as the second baseman Jack Irwin calmly fielded groundball and tossed it to the first baseman Skerrett in time for the final out. The conference record this spring for the Bulldogs is 1-1, 2-4 overall. Their next game is Monday afternoon at Ballard.
Garfield JV is now 2-3 overall, 0-1 in conference games after a rough 10-1 loss at Issaquah. David Brinkley and Aidan Nuttall were on the mound for the JVs, but without much defensive support. The offense was slow out of the gate and didn’t kick it into gear until it was too late to get back into the game against the Eagles. The JV Bulldogs will host Ballard on Monday.

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Skyline Shuts Out Bulldogs To Open Kingco Season

A day after being rained out, the Skyline Spartans defeated the Garfield Bulldogs 2-0 in a hard-fought battle. It was a pitchers duel with a total of only 10 hits between both ballclubs. Skyline got on the board early with a run in the 3rd and another in the 4th off starter Owen Vickrey. The Bulldogs were able to get a couple runners on twice late in the game but were unable to capitalize with a hit to bring some runs in and christen the ballpark’s newly-functioning scoreboard. Skyline’s pitcher shut down the Bulldogs bats, facing the minimum number of hitters through the game’s first 4 innings. Garfield’s defense was solid and the pitching was good enough to win on most days with Vickrey and reliever Henry Freed only allowing 2 runs to the Spartans. The offense was unable to capitalize late in the game and get into the Skyline bullpen. Duncan Skerrett had 2 hits in the game for the Bulldogs. Derek Billey added a double. Garfield plays at home tomorrow afternoon against Issaquah.
The JV Bulldogs were rained out on Wednesday and will make up their game on Saturday, March 30th at Skyline. Their next contest is Friday at Issaquah.

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Bulldogs Fall To Chief Sealth 6-4

The Garfield Bulldogs played the Chief Sealth Seahawks tight to the finish, but were unable to pick up the win. Sealth had 3 hits each from their #3 and #4 hitters that provided their offense for the afternoon. Garfield’s pitching was able to silence the rest of the bats. Owen Vickrey pitched 3 innings, followed by 1 inning each from Justin Arkills-McLain, Duncan Skerrett, Chandler Honican and Hayes Gorecki. The Seahawks scored 2 runs in the 3rd, and 4 more in the the 5th on a misplayed fly ball and 2 deep extra-base hits to left field.
Garfield had a little rally of its own, ignited by a 5th inning leadoff triple over the left fielder’s head by Dominick Lewis. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs left the tying run on base that inning and were not able to score any off the relief pitcher in the last 2 innings. Ben Koerner went 2 for 3 with 1 RBI. Gorecki, Honican and Henry Freed also had RBIs for Garfield. The defensive highlights of the day included a bases-loaded diving catch by the second baseman Gorecki on a line drive up the middle and an outfield assist from the left fielder Lewis to Koerner to nail a runner at the plate.
Garfield JV hung on to win a nail-biter 14-11, with the game being called after 6 innings due to time limit. The JV Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead, but allowed Sealth back into the game to make it exciting to the finish. Coach Jake Staff said after the game, “Our offense was a team effort from top to bottom in the lineup.” JV finished the week much better than it started, with the team putting up runs in abundance over the past 2 ballgames after being shutout twice to start the week.
JV moves to 2-2 overall, with their conference opener at Skyline next Wednesday. The Varsity club is now 1-3, opening league play at home against Skyline on Wednesday afternoon.

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Garfield Walk-Off Win In Extras Over Auburn

The short-handed Garfield Bulldogs battled the Auburn Trojans for their first victory of the season, taking it to 9 innings before finally prevailing on an infield hit to push the winning run across and start the postgame celebration. Down to just 10 eligible and healthy Varsity players in town, Coach Chris Moedritzer made a couple roster moves to bring up some talent from the JV team to help the Varsity squad for the afternoon. Elijah Hardy and Patrick Lin made their Varsity debuts off the bench, both appearing later in the game in key supporting roles.
Henry Freed got the start, with 3 no-hit innings before allowing Auburn to take the lead in the 4th. Duncan Skerrett threw 2 innings and allowed just 1 unearned run. Toby Perkins came in to pitch the final 3 innings, allowing only a 9th inning run, but still was able to pick up the win after the Bulldogs comeback. Ben Koerner impressed with his blocking ability working overtime behind the dish for Garfield.
Hayes Gorecki, Duncan Skerrett, and Justin Arkills-McLain each had 2 hits apiece. Gorecki added 2 RBI and the game-tying run in the bottom of the 9th. The game’s defensive highlight was a sliding catch down the right field line in the top of the 9th inning by Skerrett. Auburn scored a run on the play, giving them a temporary 5-4 lead. The Bulldogs responded with some quality at-bats from the top of the order to load the bases on a hit and pair of walks. Freed was hit by a pitch, forcing in the tying run. Arkills-McLain hit a chopper past the pitcher and was able to beat the throw from the second baseman with a head-first dive into first base as Hardy crossed the plate for the winning run. All in all, it was an exciting game from start to finish by both ballclubs.
Garfield JV had a strong outing from Aidan Miller, who threw a 5-inning complete game, striking out 11 batters and allowing 2 hits and no walks. Evell Nelson had 2 doubles and 2 RBI. Atticus Pennylegion-Hurley added a single and 2 RBI in the 1st appearance of his Bulldogs career. The Garfield JV dominated with a 11-1 over a young Auburn team, giving JV coach Jake Staff his 1st win as a Bulldog.
The JV and Varsity squads are both now 1-2 overall, with their next game being a JV-Varsity doubleheader on Saturday morning and afternoon at home against Chief Sealth. Kingco 4A league play starts next week so it will be one more opportunity to get the lineups and rotation in order for conference play.

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Islanders Knock Off Bulldogs 5-3

Mercer Island capitalized off 5 runs in the first 2 innings to hang on for a 5-3 win over Garfield. The Bulldogs had their chances as they were handed 10 walks by the Islanders pitchers. The Bulldogs scored 2 runs on a sac bunt fielder’s choice involving an overthrow into left field by Mercer Island in the 2nd inning. In the 4th inning, the Bulldogs loaded the bases only to have their potential rally ended by a diving circus catch over the center fielder’s head to save 3 runs and preserve the lead. The 5th inning ended on an error by the MI first baseman, which allowed 1 run to score, but the other Bulldogs baserunner was hosed at home plate by the Islanders right fielder to defuse the threat. Frustrating to leave so many runners on base, but it was an improvement over the night before when the Bulldogs were unable to get anything going offensively. The defensive highlight for GHS was Duncan Skerrett making a diving catch in right field.

Justin Arkills-McLain pitched 4 solid innings, backed up by 2 scoreless innings of relief by Hayes Gorecki. Chandler Honican led the Bulldogs offense, reaching base safely in all 4 of his at-bats. Toby Perkins also added 3 walks. Justin Arkills-McLain and Derek Billey each had 2 hits apiece. Arkills-McLain added a double play of his own on a line shot back to the pitcher, allowing to him to double up a baserunner at first base early on in the game.

Varsity moves to 0-2 overall with its next ballgame being at home against Auburn on Thursday afternoon.

The Garfield JV team (0-2 record) lost 16-0. The game was close for a few innings, but the Islanders pulled away late in the game. The JVs hope to rebound, both offensively and defensively, in their next game on Thursday at Auburn.

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Kangs Blank Bulldogs 7-0 To Open 2013 Season

The Lake Washington Kangs shutout the Garfield Bulldogs in both the JV and Varsity match-ups in a JV-Varsity doubleheader at Lee Johnson Field in Kirkland. The infield grew muddier during the course of the ballgames, but the rain held off just long enough to get the games in.
Garfield JV lost the afternoon game 5-0. Southpaws David Brinkley and Aidan Miller pitched for Garfield.
The Varsity game finished up 7-0 under the lights with Lake Washington reaching base safely 14 times and taking advantage of 3 Bulldogs miscues to put the game out of reach. The Garfield offense mustered only 4 hits off the Lake Washington pitchers. Without any support from the bats, Owen Vickrey took the loss on the mound for the Bulldogs. Defensive highlights included several nice plays at shortstop by Chandler Honican, and a relay throw to nail a runner at home plate from left fielder Duncan Skerrett to third baseman Ben Koerner who relayed it home just in time for catcher Henry Freed to apply the tag early in the game.
The Bulldogs JV and Varsity teams both start the season 0-1 overall. The next games for Garfield are Tuesday, with the JV playing at home against Mercer Island, while the Varsity squad will travel to a newly-turfed Mercer Island diamond for its ballgame.

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2013 Baseball Jamboree Lineup Announced

The Garfield Bulldogs will kick off the season with a preseason jamboree for both the JV and Varsity teams with a re-match of last year’s jamboree with O’Dea and Juanita. O’Dea is in the Metro 3A conference and plays just down the street from Garfield. Juanita is in the Kingco 3A conference and is located in Kirkland. Both jamborees will be at Garfield HS on Saturday, March 9th with all games being 3 innings in length. Here is the afternoon schedule:

Garfield vs O’Dea 11:15am (JV)

O’Dea vs Juanita 12:30pm (JV)

Juanita vs Garfield 1:45pm (JV)

Garfield vs O’Dea 3:15pm (VAR)

O’Dea vs Juanita 4:30pm (VAR)

Juanita vs Garfield 5:45pm (VAR)

Look forward to seeing you out there!

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