Bulldogs bite the Cougars in non-regional action

WINSLOW, Ariz. - The Winslow Bulldogs defeated the Chino Valley Cougars 6-4 in a non-regional baseball game played in Winslow on Thursday. The loss was the first of the season for the Cougars and left them with a record of 21-1 for the season. The win improved Winslow's record to 17-5-2.

Anthony Huerta pitched brilliantly and held the Cougars to just four hits while walking four and fanning nine in seven innings of work. The Bulldogs out hit the Cougars 12-4 in the game.

The Bulldogs took a 1‑0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on a single by Jevon Estelle who stole second base and scored on a single by Bubba Cuellar.

Chino Valley scored all of its runs in the fourth inning on a grand slam home run by Lynch after a double by Justin Angel, a single by Jason Nisbitt and a walk to Jerry Garcia. The Cougars had three of their four hits off Huerta in that fateful inning. Their only other safety was a leadoff single in the top of the first by Wade Parker.

Lynch was given a green light on a 3-0 pitch and delivered with his home run over the left center field fence. The bases had been loaded with the walk to Garcia after he took a pitch that most Winslow fans had thought was strike three.

Winslow chopped the lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth on a single by Cuellar, a stolen base, a wild pitch and a single by Kraig Shirley.  Hitting Wendell Carter with the pitch and walking Huerta left the bases loaded when the inning ended on a force play.

Estelle doubled and went to third on a single by Roman Guzman and scored on a sacrifice fly by Cuellar to cut the lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth.

The game was tied and the winning runs scored in the bottom of the fifth on singles by Carter, Huerta, a walk to Ty Hancock, a sacrifice fly by Levi Smith, an error on a ground ball by Tommy Gomez and a single by Roman Guzman.

Cuellar and Carter were two for three with Carter having a double. Estelle was two for four with a double. Huerta was one for two. Hancock, Gomez, Guzman and Smith were one for three. Shirley was one for four.