Bulldogs vs Vikings in first round

The ECI Baseball team is entertaining Treutlen Co. this afternoon in the first round of the state baseball playoffs. The Bulldogs and Vikings are no strangers to each other. Before moving over to region four a few years ago, the two teams have been in the same region for several decades, being just a few miles apart.

The Bulldogs enter the state playoff as the number one seed from region 3 with an 22-6 overall record and 15-1 in region play. The Vikings are the number 4 seed from region 4 with a 11-13 season record and 6-6 in region.

First game of the double header this afternoon begins at 3 p.m. with second game scheduled for 6 p.m. The “if needed” game has first pitch Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

The Bulldogs closed out the regular season last week with 3 non-region games. Tuesday, they hosted Metter at Joe Harvey and sent the Tigers back to Candler Co. with a 12-2 loss. The Bulldogs had 6 batters with multiple hits. Leading the pack of Dawgs at the plate were James Parker 3 hits, Tuff Boddiford, Gabe Lee, Bryson Thompson, Ab Marsh, and Kanyon Thompson all with 2 hits each. Freshman Jud Underwood pitched the first 4 innings for the Bulldogs giving up just 3 hits while striking out 3. Bryson Thompson closed out the game in the fifth and final inning allowing just 2 hits, striking out 2 Tiger batters.

The Bulldogs traveled to Mill Creek in Statesboro to play Southeast Bulloch on Wednesday, March 16. The Bulldogs defeated the Blue Jackets 7-2 for their second win of the week. ECI put 3 on the board in the opening inning to take a 3-1 lead. They added 2 runs each in the fifth and sixth innings and held the Jackets to just 4 hits to come away with the win. Jackson Kennedy ended the game against SEB with 2 hits. Picking up singles for the Bulldogs in the game were Tuff Boddiford, Bryson Thompson, and Jud Underwood. James Parker started the game for the Bulldogs, scattering 4 hits over 4 innings with 4 strikeouts. Lake Bush and Boddiford pitched the final 3 innings giving up no hits with 6 strikeouts.

The Bulldogs had an away game against Fitzgerld to close out the regular season on Wednesday. The Bulldogs let a 7-1 lead in the fourth inning slip away in the latter innings to lose their first game since March 26, 10-9.

Other region 3 vs region 4 games in the first round of the state playoffs have second seed Metter hosting Wheeler Co., third seed Screven Co. traveling to Hawkinsville and four seed Bryan Co. taking a trip to Rochelle to take on region 4 champion Wilcox Co.