Bolton Dodgers ride heavy bats to early North Dufferin success

May 17, 2018 · 0 Comments

Written By JAKE COURTEPATTE

Through the first week of the North Dufferin Baseball League season, no team was hotter at the plate than the Bolton Dodgers.

After banging out a thirteen-run, seventeen-hit in the AA season opener against the Mansfield Cubs last Sunday, the Dodgers took to Tottenham Park on Wednesday in a tough matchup with the Alliston Athletics.

A number of seasoned veterans combined for another double-digit slugfest, while the Dodgers’ annual ace-on-the-mound kept the Athletics in check for a 10 – 7 win.

Taking Alliston starting pitcher Joshua Wheaton for a loop, Bolton managed to plate their first four batters in veterans Jon Bloomfield, Luke Ratcliffe, Mike Gemmiti, and Tysen Hansen, eventually chasing Wheaton from the mound with another three-run second inning.

Ratcliffe, Hansen, and Eamonn Chiodo each put up a double in the contest, while both Ratcliffe and Brandon Nieva went a perfect three-for-three on the day.

Shawn English took the mound for the Dodgers, showing faint spells of trouble with his control in allowing eight walks, though holding the Athletics to just four hits while striking out five.

After knocking around an incredible 31 hits through their first two games, a depleted roster travelled to Victoria Park in Ivy on Saturday to take on the Ivy Rangers.

It was Ivy’s heavy hitting that decided this contest, tagging Bolton starter Luca Czeranowski for six runs in the game’s first inning.

Brandon Nieva came in in relief before the first out, finishing out the game giving up three runs on eight hits through six innings.

Ivy’s counterpart on the mound Jarrett Vanderpost held the Bolton bats in check for the first time this season, with Bloomfield coming around in the sixth for the Dodgers’ only run.

Gemmitti had two of just four Bolton hits for the evening, with one each also coming from Hansen and Charles Simpson.

Bringing a 2-1-0 record into week two of the AA baseball season, the Dodgers fifth-place standing will be tested by the 2-1-0 Midland Mariners in game one of a two-game road trip on Thursday.

They move on to visit the Aurora Jays on Tuesday, returning home on May 23 to host the Lisle Astros.

For stats, schedules, and more information, visit www.ndbl.ca.