Bulldogs hold off Vikings for 3-2 victory
Senior lefthander Tyler Laskey tossed a 4-hit complete game and struck out 15 on Tuesday as the North Bend Bulldogs held on for a 3-2 victory over the Siuslaw Vikings in a Far West League baseball game at John "Jiggs" Dodson Stadium.
The loss dropped the Vikings to 2-4 in league and 5-9 overall. Siuslaw hosts South Umpqua in a doubleheader at 3 p.m. Friday.
The first-place Bulldogs improved to 5-1 in league and 10-4 overall. South Umpqua's 2-1 loss to Brookings-Harbor left North Bend alone in first place as the league nears the midpoint of the season.
Siuslaw did not go down without a fight, loading the bases in both the bottom of the sixth and the seventh. Two runs scored on an error by the shortstop on a grounder by Kenneth Thrall with two out in the bottom of seventh.
But Laskey struck out clean-up hitting Jared Brandt swinging with runners at first and third to end the game. Brandt stuck out swinging three times in the game and had a successful sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the fourth.
Laskey struck out every Viking in the order at least once except for Thrall, who grounded out, was hit by a pitch, doubled and reached on an error in four plate appearances.
Michael Mason had a solid single in the second while Scott Gordon and Evan Teter each reached on infield hits for the Vikings.
Laskey was 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored and catcher Brad Haga was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI for the Bulldogs.
Lefthander Gabe Simington, a freshman at Mapleton, went the distance for the Vikings, striking out 7 and walking 3 for the tough-luck loss. Only one of the three runs by the Bulldogs was earned.
LINESCORE
Tuesday, April 19, at John "Jiggs" Dodson Field
NORTH BEND 100 002 0 — 3 5 1
SIUSLAW 000 000 2 — 2 4 2
Winning pitcher — Tyler Laskey. Losing pitcher — Gabe Simington.
IMAGE GALLERY
