It was a shutout game as the Dragon baseball team took on the Snake River Panthers Wednesday, March 20.  The MHS team wasn’t about to let a win happen on their home field, a feat they secured with solid hitting and sound pitching in just their second home game of the season.

The defense dominated the first two innings with both teams remaining scoreless until the bottom of the third.  Carter Carey managed a double bagger to right field on his second pitch, giving the Dragons the start they needed.  Two batters down the lineup, Dawsyn Peterson hit another double for Malad on a line drive to center field.  On the hit, Ky Willie, courtesy runner for Carey rounded third and headed across home plate for their opening score of the game.

Cale Briggs followed to bat with a single into right field, batting in Peterson for a second Dragon run.  Just as they were gaining momentum, Snake River quashed it with a double play to end the inning at 2-0.

Back in the field, the Malad defense collectively strung a series of stops, seamlessly working together.  At the mound, Brady Showell put up the first out as he struck out the Panther batter on a 1-3 count.  Peterson at shortstop scooped up the hit to send it over to Ryan Hubbard at first base for the second out of the inning.  With just one ball in the count, the next Snake River hitter sent a ground ball wide of first base.  Covering first base as Hubbard picked up the ball, Showell put up the final out of the fourth inning.

Malad didn’t fare any better as they stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the fourth.  It wasn’t until Hubbard was back at bat in the fifth inning before the Dragons managed a base hit.  With two balls and two strikes, he doubled on a line drive past the defense into left field.  Two down the lineup, Briggs followed behind him on base with a single to right, advancing to second base on the throw back to the infield.  The hit was just what Hubbard needed to make his way around third base and across home for another Malad run.

The pitching and fielding were strong over the last innings of the game.  Of the batters that went up to the plate, only one Snake River player managed to get on base as he was hit by a wild pitch but in the end, he was left stranded on base as Showell struck him out for the third out of the inning.  Nearing his pitch count for the game, 88 throws, Showell was pulled in the final inning of the game with Timmy Jensen coming in to relief pitch.

Briggs led the Dragons on the charts as he had 3 at bats, with 2 hits, 2 RBIs and 0 strikeouts.  Peterson contributed well both batting and fielding, putting up 1 run on 1 hit on 2 at bats, batting in 1 without any strikeouts.  He also added 3 putouts as shortstop.  From the mound, Showell tallied 8 strikeouts, 2 walks and 1 hit in 6 innings.  Jensen came in as a relief pitcher for the final inning, striking out two of the three batters he faced.

The Dragon baseball team is looking at a packed schedule as they come into April, beginning the month with three games.  A packed schedule gives the team the competition they need but it comes at the cost of having few opportunities for practice. 

Head Coach Bo Clark shared, “Sometimes we have to teach and correct on the fly in the middle of the game.  We can work a little more before or after a game but that is why our boys have to be coachable and work on those things we ask them.”  If past experience is any indicator, a busy schedule is no problem for the Dragons as they have done well to work through slumps and hiccups to peak at just the right time.  

Malad will host the Marsh Valley Eagles Tuesday, April 2.  Two days later they will travel to Firth to take on the Cougars before they host Preston on Friday, April 5.