Prep Baseball: Bulldogs knocks out Vienna with big hits

On what was a chilly May day, the Harrisburg bats were on fire as the Bulldogs disposed of Vienna 12-2 in six innings Thursday in the Anna-Jonesboro Class 2A baseball regional.

The game, originally scheduled to be played at Anna-Jonesboro, was moved to Doris Heights after rains flooded A-J's field Wednesday.

Harrisburg (22-12) will now play the winner of Murphysboro or Carterville in Saturday's championship, slated for 11 a.m. in Anna.

As cool as the temps were, Sykes Thompson was sizzling for the Bulldogs as the senior right hander went the distance, allowing two runs on five hits, while striking out three and issuing zero walks on the afternoon.

At the plate, Harrisburg was disciplined, taking advantage 13 hits, while walking eight times and striking out just twice.

Harrisburg head coach Jay Thompson felt his team took full advantage of the home cooking provided at Doris Heights.

We got lucky being able to play at home," Thompson said. "I thought the kids really responded to being able to play at home today. Sykes was spectacular and this is what you hope that your seniors will do for you late in the season. Our seniors played awesome, everyone really played well, but our seniors played awesome.

The Bulldogs got the scoring going early thanks in part to a three-run home run off the bat of Cooper Thompson in the first inning, whose shot to left field scored Matthew Phipps and Sykes Thompson.

Harrisburg batted around in the first inning, getting to Eagles starter Ryan Bradley (4-3) by batting around the order and putting up four runs on three hits.

Vienna (9-18) cut the deficit in half with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning as Nate Ross got the Eagles' first hit of the game and that followed a Lane Wright curling double down the left field line, setting up Jarrod Wiggs' base hit to score Ross and that followed a Tylor Daubert sac-fly, scoring Wright.

Harrisburg got both runs back in the bottom of the third as Noah Vallette, who scored on Aaron Johnson's sac-fly in the first, led off the inning by being hit by a pitch. Carson Batts then singled to right field and a sac-bunt by Bryce Emery scored Vallette running from second on the play. Britton Riden then poked a single to left field that scored Batts.

In the bottom of the fifth, Johnson led the inning off with a single to left field and was replaced by courtesy runner Tyler Sullivan, who scored on an RBI single into left field by Sykes Thompson. Cooper Thompson's groundout scored Phipps and Austin Hefner put up the ninth run of the game as he tripled to left field, scoring Sullivan.

Harrisburg put the game away in the game away in the sixth as the Bulldogs put together a little two-out rally as Aaron Johnson led the inning off with a walk and after a pair of fly outs by Riden and Phiips, Sykes Thompson ripped a single past third and Cooper Thompson followed with a base hit to load the bases.

Hefner followed with a walk to score Sullivan and Vallette's base hit scored Isiah Saulsberry, running for Sykes Thompson, while Carson Batts provided the walk off single past short to score Cooper Thompson for the game winner.

Sykes Thompson 3-for-4 with an RBi, while Carson batts was 3-for-3 with two walks. Cooper Thompson and Austin Hefner were each 2-for-4, while Britton Riden was 2-for-3. Phipps and Johnson both went 1-for-3, while Vallette was 1-for-2.

"We hit the ball all over the ballpark today," Thompson said. "I don't remember us ever hitting a soft ground ball or a soft pop up. Everything we hit was pretty hard today. These guys have been so much fun. I just like coming out here with them everyday. I wish we could play for a few more months."

Harrisburg will now be playing for their sixth straight regional championship as the Bulldogs have won 13 regional titles in the last 14 years.

The 20-plus wins for Harrisburg this season, marks the 22nd straight time the Bulldogs have gone over that number.

Last season, Harrisburg lost 7-6 to Chester in the sectional semifinals, marking the fourth straight semi lost for the Bulldogs.

Michael Dann covers prep and college sports for the Harrisburg Daily Register. Follow him on Twitter: @spydieshooter.