Long stops no-no with game-winning double as Bulls top Wolves
By Brandon Wright, Features Writer
LITHIA – Superstition is woven through baseball like no other sport. These mythical layers that protect hit streaks and consecutive wins may not be rooted in logic, but they sure seem real when in the midst of one.
One of the most common is to never speak of a perfect game or no-hitter while in progress. Newsome’s Aiden Dolan was spinning both with one out in the seventh against Bloomingdale Tuesday. And the Bulls dugout could be heard repeatedly saying “perfect game, perfect game.”
The next batter reached on an error. Coincidence?
“We all knew the situation in the dugout,” Bloomingdale’s Hayden Porter said. “And we were trying to do anything to make it not happen.”
Nursing a tenuous 1-0 lead, Dolan walked the next batter and was lifted for Isaiah Sanchez. But the no-no was still intact, as was the shutout. So, the Bulls dugout began repeating “no-hitter.”
“Jinx,” Porter said with a smile.
Luke Long got up next and laced a two-run double down the left field line and Porter slammed the door in the bottom of the inning, lifting Bloomingdale to an improbable 2-1 victory against the host Wolves last night.
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” Bulls’ catcher Vinny Dinzeo said. “Ever.”
Long’s hit proved to be the Bulls’ lone hit of the night, but it was also the only one they needed. Down in the count 0-2, Long turned on an inside-up fastball and rocketed it off the fence for the eventual game-winner.
“I was down in the count but didn’t care,” Long said. “I knew I was going to get my pitch and send it.”
The win marked the Bulls’ (20-3) 10th straight with only Sickles left on the regular-season slate Friday.
“We don’t roll over and die that easy,” Long said. “I feel like that was a statement game. We always talk about playing seven innings of Bloomingdale Bulls baseball and that’s why we came out on top.”
It was a tough outcome to an otherwise stellar night for Dolan. The senior righty struck out eight and faced the minimum in his six and a third innings of work.
“Dolan was really, really good,” Bloomingdale coach Kris Wilken said. “That was the first time I’ve seen him. Very impressive.”
How impressive? Dolan didn’t even allow a ball hit out of the infield all night.
“Dolan is a buddy of mine,” Long said. “He was really effective with his curve tonight and his fastball was getting in on us. A lot of weak ground balls and just getting on our hands a little bit.”
Porter, who came on in relief to start the third, wasn’t too shabby himself. The senior righthander struck out four, including a pair in the seventh to seal it.
“Kudos to all of the guys who pitched tonight on both sides,” Wilken said. “I think both teams are having the seasons we’re having because of our pitching.”
Newsome’s Lincoln Jordy reached on an error to open the Wolves (16-6) half of the second, advanced on a walk and came around to make it 1-0 on a ringing double from Sanchez. The loss was the Wolves’ third straight. Newsome wraps up its regular season Thursday at home against Tampa Bay Tech.
⚾
#1 Bloomingdale 2
#10 Newsome 1
B 000|000|2 – |2|1|2
N 010|000|0 – |1|3|1
W – Porter (4-1); L – Dolan (6-1)
2B – Long (B); Sanchez (N). Records – B (20-3); N (16-6).
