Clovers drop a pair to Speedway

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

CLOVERDALE -- With seven hits, four walks and a batter hit by a pitch, Cloverdale had plenty of opportunities to score Tuesday against Speedway.

But the Clovers were unable to capitalize, leaving 11 runners on base in a 9-0 loss in a West Central Conference baseball game on their field.

Starting pitcher Josh Burdette kept Cloverdale close through five innings. The junior right-hander gave up two runs on two hits in the first inning, then held the WCC-leading Sparkplugs (8-8, 7-1 WCC) scoreless and allowed one hit over the next four.

Speedway scored five in the fifth to put the game away. Two of the runs were unearned.

Burdette allowed eight hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked four.

Freshman Will Andersen pitched the seventh for the Clovers. He allowed two runs on three hits.

Cloverdale left the bases loaded twice, in the fourth and fifth innings.

The Clovers filled them with two outs in the fourth. William Whitinger's hard-hit ground all was directly at Speedway shortstop Jake Daghe, who went the short way for a force play at second base.

Cloverdale had the bases full with nobody out in the fifth on singles by Ethan Atwood and Brian Dale, and Trevor Lockwood was hit by a pitch. But the next three runners were retired.

Brian and Jeff Dale each had two singles. Atwood, Jordan Brinkman and Burdette each had one single for Cloverdale.

Cloverdale also lost the opening game of the series, 16-2 in five innings. It was halted by lightning at Speedway on Monday with the Sparkplugs ahead 9-0 going into the bottom of the fourth. When the game restarted Tuesday at Cloverdale, Speedway added seven runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Jeff Dale had a two-run home run, following a single by Atwood, in the top of the fifth.