Patrick Rush’s bases loaded double in the first inning gave Hall-Dale all the runs it needed, and the Bulldogs won big over Wiscasset Middle High School at Farmingdale. Friday afternoon’s game was the Mountain Valley Conference season opener for both teams.

With two away Rush connected on a 3-2 fastball thrown by Wolverine starter Haiden Dunning sending a flyball to deep center field. After Austin Stebbins, the leadoff batter was tossed out by Dunning on a comebacker to the mound. Jacob Brown followed with a base hit to left. Alec Byron and Akirs Warren then drew back-to-back walks to load the bases.

Dunning struck out Tim Cookson on four pitches before facing Rush. Before the inning ended the Wolverines gave up two more runs, with the Bulldogs staking themselves to a 5-0 lead.

Brown, Hall-Dale’s starting pitcher, picked up the win. On the mound for just one inning, he set the Wolverines’ first three batters down in order striking out one.

Wiscasset was hitless in the game that was called after five innings due to the mercy rule. Kyle Ricker who drew a base-on-balls in the fourth inning was the Wolverines’ only base runner.

Dunning pitched four innings finishing with three strikeouts. He walked 10 batters and gave up 10 hits. Brian Foye pitched the final inning for Wiscasset. He struck out one batter and walked one, allowing four base hits and three runs. Wolverine second baseman C.J. Robert made a nice defensive play in the second inning. He dug out a grounder by Byron throwing him out at first. In the same inning, Casey Mills ran down and gloved a high fly ball driven deep to left by Warren.

In the third inning James Hodson caught Byron’s towering fly ball driven deep to center field robbing him of an extra base hit. Sam Sheaffer’s single down the right field line drove in two more runs in the second inning when the Bulldogs put five more runs on the scoreboard.

After walking the lead-off batter in the third, Dunning struck out the next two Hall-Dale batters. Tim Cookson then tripled to center field and Logan Dupont followed with an RBI single putting the Bulldogs up 13.

Hall-Dale put eight runs on the scoreboard in the third, added three more in the fourth and finished the afternoon with 22 runs. The Bulldogs are the defending MVC and class C state champions. The Wolverines will play them again May 20 at WMHS.

 The Wolverines’ home opener at WMHS is scheduled, weather and field conditions permitting, for 4 p.m. Monday, April 22.