Sports

DISTRICT LEADERS -- Izaac Wood slides safely into second for a double versus Gorman. Courtesy photo/Barbara Fowler

WARMING UP - Right fielder Jaileigh Young warms up between innings. Staff photo/Hinton

Hamilton’s eighth grade Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs deposited team gold medals on Monday of last week during the annual Extraco Relays. Anna Pearcy accumulated 41 of Hamilton’s winning 179 points and was the top scoring eighth grade female athlete. The gold medalist Bulldogs were paced by top performer Morgan Henkes with 36 points.

Hamilton High School hosted another successful Extraco Relays at Kooken Field last Friday. As coaches and volunteers feasted on the always popular steak and shrimp served up by Greg Eilers and Extraco employees, the Dogs and Lady Dogs were busy sinking their teeth into precious medals.

The Hamilton Bulldog tennis team competed at the district tennis tournament on Monday and Tuesday of last week at Robinson High School.

The Hamilton Bulldog and Lady Bulldog golf program will be represented by two teams at the Region II Golf Tournament on April 18-19 at the Old Brickyard Golf Course in Ferris.

SAFE - Hamilton’s Lady Bulldog softball team split games last week to move to 8-5 on the season and 6-4 in district. In the first round of district competition, the Lady Bulldogs fell on the road in Blum by a lopsided score of 19-4. On Wednesday of last week, the Lady Dogs took just three innings to flip the script, pummeling the visiting Lady Bobcats 19-4 in Hamilton. Jordyn Medina toed the rubber for all three innings and recorded three strikeouts while sacrificing just two hits. In turn, the Lady Dogs scattered five hits, including two by Kendal Stroud and one each by Grace Killian, Addison Kelley and Lily Emeyabbi. Emeyabbi drew two walks and was one for one at the plate with a team high three RBIs. Laurel Ann Elkins, Dezlyn Lamb, Killian, Kelley, Medina and Stroud each batted in two runs, and Skylar Carr drove in one. Last Friday, the Lady Dogs traveled to face district frontrunner Rio Vista. The Lady Eagles posted a 27-7 win in Hamilton during the first round of district competition but found themselves up by just two runs through four innings on Friday. Rio Vista added two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to eventually triumph over the Road Dogs 6-0. Lamb and Killian recorded Hamilton’s only two hits in the ballgame. The Lady Bulldogs were scheduled to host Jonesboro on Tuesday of this week before traveling to Itasca on Friday. The first pitch in Itasca is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Pictured at right, Laurel Ann Elkins confers with Assistant Coach Andrew Heers while standing safely on first base. Above, Skylar Carr slides headfirst across home plate for a run in Hamilton’s 19-4 win over Blum on Wednesday of last week. Staff photos/Hinton

UMPH - Brooklyn Bragg (above) and Kazdon Thedford (right) are pictured racking up points for Hamilton in the discus and shot put competitions during last Friday’s Extraco Relays. Staff photos/Hinton

BASE WARS - After defeating district foe Miles on the road the previous Friday 6-1, the Hamilton Bulldogs welcomed the Miles Bulldogs to Fair Park last Tuesday and were upended in a tight 9-8 contest. Miles scored two runs in the top of the fifth inning to take their first lead of the game, 5-4. Hamilton roared back with three runs in the sixth, including a solo shot by Chase Weaver over the center field fence. The visiting Dogs added four runs in the seventh and held Hamilton to one to escape with the upset victory. Hamilton recorded 12 hits compared to just nine by their opponent. Weaver was a perfect four for four at the plate, including a pair of doubles, a single and a homerun to drive in a team leading three RBIs. Jaydon Watson drove in one run while going three for four at the plate, and Garrison Blackwell was two for four with an RBI. On Friday, Weaver went the distance on the mound, shutting out DeLeon for five innings as the Dogs cruised to an 11-0 district win. Weaver recorded nine strikeouts while walking just one batter and allowing two hits. Helping his cause at the plate, Weaver connected for three hits in four at bats. Sutton Lee also recorded multiple hits, going two for two with a pair of RBIs. With six district games remaining, the Bulldogs are 10-7 on the year and 5-2 in district. The Bulldogs were scheduled to travel to Coleman on Tuesday, looking to reverse a first round 5-3 loss to the Bluecats. The Dogs will host Gorman this Friday and will stay home next Tuesday to play Winters. Both games are set to begin at 4:30 p.m. The junior varsity Bulldogs are slated to host Gorman on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for noon. Pictured, Bryson Tarpley dives to make a tag on a Miles base runner, and Garrison Blackwell is all smiles after reaching second base safely versus Miles on Tuesday of last week in Hamilton. Courtesy photos by Julie Weaver