Friday, the Bulldogs clinched the Region XIV East Conference Championship and a tournament top seed. Saturday, they swept a final regular-season doubleheader and series from the Tyler Apaches. Sunday, they plotted their next course of action: playing either Blinn or Galveston in the Region XIV Tournament next Friday at UT-Tyler.
In baseball parlance, coach Matt Podjenski's Bulldogs (25-11) are day-to-day. And, they've got miles and miles to go before their season is complete. With a new tournament format in place, the next stop for the 'Dawgs will be the three-day Northern Regional held at Irwin Field at The UT-Tyler Ballpark beginning May 7.
In Friday's opening round, the Bulldogs will play a 5 pm game against the fourth-place South Zone club -- the winner of a playoff between Blinn's Buccaneers and Galveston's Whitecaps. Bossier Parish and Wharton currently are scheduled to play in the 1 pm Friday game.
The South Regional, hosted by San Jacinto College on May 7, features first-round matchups of Alvin against Paris and San Jac against either Northeast Texas or Panola.
Winners from the Regionals advance to a best-of-three Super-Regional at the home of the highest seed beginning May 14.
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FRIDAY'S CONFERENCE CLINCHER
Navarro 14, Tyler 9
James G. Price Field, Corsicana HS
Cash Rugely homered, doubled and drove in six runs Friday as Navarro sewed up the conference championship.
Rugely cracked a three-run homer in the second, doubled home a seventh-inning run and knocked in two runs with a fifth-inning sacrifice fly as Coach Matt Podjenski's Bulldogs (23-11) won the rain-delayed contest.
The Bulldogs took the lead for good during a six-run bottom of the fifth after Vergara led off with his fifth homer of the season. With the bases loaded, Ethan Ruiz was hit by a pitch and Chad Ricker drew a walk to plate two more. Later, Ruiz and Heine scored on Rugely's sacrifice fly to centerfield.
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SATURDAY'S DOUBLEHEADER
at Mike Carter Field, Tyler
GAME 1: Navarro, 6-1 -- Tyler Dickey's one-out two-run double scored Vergara and Letney to give the Bulldogs their first lead. Second baseman Weston Symes' two-out, two-run triple brought home Dickey and Ethan Ruiz during the four-run fourth inning.
Vergara homered for the third consecutive game -- a one-out solo to right field in the fifth inning.
Chad Ricker worked four innings in relief of starter Cooper Randall and got credit for the pitching victory.
GAME 2: Navarro, 4-1 -- Cash Rugely hit a third inning solo home run, and also scored Navarro's first run after Vergara single.
Starter Jake Combs was followed by six Bulldog pitchers who worked an inning apiece. Together, they limited TJC to five hits. Logan Letney (2-0) won his second straight appearance on the mound.