DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
NEW HAVEN – Spring Break was no excuse for two East Allen schools Tuesday night as the New Haven Bulldogs hosted the Heritage Patriots on opening day for the two schools and it was the visiting Patriots who survived a late-inning scare to secure a 4-2 victory over their rivals to the north thanks to a combined pitching performance by Cam and Eli Rauner.
Cam Rauner overcame some early wildness to strand runners in the bottom of the first and only allowed one bunt single in five innings of shutout work to lead the Patriots as the starter.
Eli Rauner came into the game to start the sixth and got the heart of the order out in just eight pitches to preserve a 3-0 lead.
That lead came on a third-inning sacrifice fly off the bat of leadoff hitter Lucas Taylor and it was Taylor who had the biggest hit of the game in the fifth inning, scoring Corbin Saalfrank and Jaxon Feasby with a hit through the right side of the infield to put the visitors up 3-0.
Beau Stoppenhagen used his speed to take advantage of two New Haven errors to add an insurance run in the top of the seventh and the Patriots needed it.
After Eli Rauner made the defensive play of the game, diving toward first base from the mound to catch a liner, the Bulldogs finally got their first string of hits. Nic Gebert had a pinch-hit RBI single to turn the lineup over to leadoff hitter Cordell Roberson with two on, but Roberson popped up and Max Mirelez made a great play pressed against the netting behind home plate to record the second out.
CJ Roberson knocked in another NH run with an infield single and the Bulldogs drew a walk to load the bases, but Eli got Brayden Kunberger to pop the ball up to right field to seal the game.
The Patriots won the game despite just three hits, but considering it was the first game of the season and much of the team was gone on spring break, coach Dean Lehrman could not complain.
The Patriots hope that the weather will cooperate this weekend for a contest against Wayne Trace on Saturday. They’ll open up at home Tuesday against South Side.
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