The Otis High School baseball team is off to a fast start in the 2024 season.
The Bulldogs were 4-0 heading into this past Tuesday’s scheduled home game against Akron, if the weather allowed. They are at Weldon Valley on April 2.
Otis opened its season with a 12-0, 6-3 sweep at Caliche.
The Bulldogs scored three runs in the top of the first in the opener, and never looked back. JJ Ward threw four scoreless innings, striking out four and walking three, while allowing just one hit. Erick Thorn struck out two in one inning.
Thorn had three hits with one RBI and three runs scored, Ward two hits with a double, and two RBI, Tayte Smith one hit, two RBI and two runs, Kaleb Jones one hit and one run, Carter Wells one hit, one RBI and two runs, Paxton Davis one hit and one RBI, Austin Hornung one run, Gavin Price one hit and two runs, and Cambric Klinzmann one run.
The nightcap was a bit tighter as Otis scored four in the top of the seventh then held on for a 6-3 win, despite outhitting the Buffaloes 11-0. Price threw 5-2/3 innings, striking out 12 and walking four while not allowing a hit. Smith threw one inning, and Ward one-third of an inning, combining for a no-hitter.
Wells had three hits and two runs, Thorn two hits, Smith one run, Mitchell Stivers one run, Jones one RBI, Paxton Davis two runs, Hornung one hit, Price one hit and Ward one hit and one RBI.
Otis was at Peetz last Friday, March 22, cruising to a 23-2, 20-0 sweep.
The Bulldogs had 20 hits in the opener, and scored 15 runs in the third inning. Smith went two innings on the hill, and Thorn one. Hornung had three hits, six RBI and three runs, Smith two hits, one RBI and three runs, Stivers two hits, three RBI and one run, Daniel Reese two hits, two RBI, three runs and a double, Davis two hits with a double, and three runs, Price two hits with a triple, three RBI and one run, Ward three hits with two doubles, three RBI and four runs, Jones a double, one RBI and two runs, Wells one hit and two runs, Tristen Stivers one RBI and Klinzmann one run.
Otis scored 10 runs in the first inning of its 20-0 win, with 19 hits to one for Peetz. Otis pitchers Ward, Jones and Price struck out 10 while walking none. Wells had three hits with a double, three RBI and three runs, M. Stivers three hits with a double, two RBI and three runs, Smith a triple and a double, two RBI and four runs, Thorn two hits with a triple, one RBI and three runs, Jones two hits, two RBI and two runs, Price two hits, one RBI and two runs, Davis one hit and one run, Hornung a triple and one run, Ward a double with two RBI and one run, and Klinzmann a double with one RBI.