Truedogs to play in Aiken tourney

Pictured are, from left, front row: Joel Collins, Austin Peel, Dalton Mills, Devin Lawton and Daniel Griffin; and back row: Trey Anthony, Bart Dutton, Ethan Conway, Eddie Conway, Will Bragg and David Burke. (Photo contributed)

Truedogs 16U Baseball traveled to Aiken, S.C. to tangle with some "big dogs" in the Citizens Park Peach Border Brawl 18U Tournament Saturday, Sept. 15, and Sunday, Sept. 16.

After being pushed around Saturday, the Truedogs gathered themselves for Sunday's cham- pionship round against Atlanta's Sports Tech Baseball.

Down 1-0 in their last at-bat, Ethan Conway led off the seventh inning with a single to right center, eventually scoring on a hard hit ball to short by Portal's Bart Dutton, sending the game into extra innings.

After working out of a bases loaded, no outs jam in the ninth inning, the Truedogs saw this one slip through hands, losing in 10 innings, 2-1.

Will Bragg led the team in pitching, throwing seven innings in Sunday's 2-1 loss, giving up only one earned run while pitching nine innings total in the tournament to finish with a 0.77 ERA.

In a tournament that did not see Truedog slugging, Conway led the team with a .444 BA while smashing a solo homerun to left center in game two on Saturday. Devin Lawton legged out a triple in Saturday's play and Joel Collins ripped a double to the right centerfield fence in game two on Saturday. Johnathan Long added a pair of singles, and Bragg, Dalton Mills and Dutton contributed with singles.

The Truedogs step back in the cage Saturday, Oct. 13, and Sunday, Oct. 14, in the Fall State Playoffs to be held at Mill Creek Park in Statesboro.