Bulldogs Walk It Off in Thriller Against Excelsior Springs

Scott earned the win on the mound for Kearney, tossing a scoreless seventh inning. Photo by David Haggart

The Kearney Bulldogs delivered a dramatic finish on Friday, May 9, against Excelsior Springs 7-6 in a come-from-behind victory that had fans on the edge of their seats.

With the game tied at six in the bottom of the seventh inning, Jett Yoakum played the hero, lacing a walk-off single that brought home the winning run and sealed a thrilling win for the Bulldogs.

Excelsior Springs opened the scoring in the first inning on a groundout by Klayton Glaspy, but Kearney responded quickly. In the bottom half, Garrett Hodge was hit by a pitch to force in a run, Grant Bogert drew a bases-loaded walk, and Brock Scott delivered an RBI double down the left field line to give Kearney an early 3-1 lead.

Defensive miscues allowed Excelsior Springs to regain the lead 4-3 in the top of the second. Kearney tied it back up in the fifth when Trent Dostal singled to left field on a six-pitch at-bat, evening the score at 4-4.

In the top of the sixth, Excelsior Springs jumped ahead once again when Spence Gibbs doubled in two runs, putting the visitors up 6-4. But Kearney wasn’t done.

The Bulldogs mounted one final rally in the bottom of the seventh. Scott singled to drive in a run, and Yoakum followed with his clutch base hit to complete the comeback and spark celebrations on the field.

Scott earned the win on the mound for Kearney, tossing a scoreless seventh inning. Starter Cale Davis went six innings, allowing four hits and six runs—three earned—while striking out five.

At the plate, Scott led the Bulldogs with a 2-for-3 performance and three RBIs. Kearney showed patience and discipline, drawing eight walks. Bogert and Hodge each walked twice. The Bulldogs also turned up the pressure on the base paths, stealing eight bases—led by Chase Porter and Scott with multiple swipes.

On defense, Kearney turned a key double play and committed no errors after the early missteps that cost them in the second inning.

Kearney will look to carry the momentum into their next game on Wednesday as they host conference rival Smithville. Hear all the play-by-play action on 102.7FM, beginning at 4:30 pm with pregame. First pitch is at 5 pm.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Kearney Bulldogs Blank Winnetonka in 8-0 Rout

The Kearney Bulldogs were firing on all cylinders Monday, May 5, delivering a dominant 8-0 shutout against the visiting Winnetonka Griffins in a performance that showcased their strength on both sides of the ball.

Gabe Newton hit 1-2 and had 2 RBIS

The Bulldogs wasted no time taking control of the game, getting on the board in the bottom of the second inning when Gabe Newton drove in a run with a sharp single. Kearney kept the pressure on in the third as Tyler Maynard ripped a double down the left field line, followed by a sacrifice fly from Cameron Taylor — each bringing home a run to extend the lead to 3-0.

On the mound, Kearney ace Cale Davis was nearly untouchable. The senior right-hander pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out nine and walking none. Davis set the tone early, mowing down the Griffins lineup with efficiency and control. Brock Scott came in for relief duty and kept the shutout intact, tossing two solid innings with two strikeouts.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs' offense continued to click. Jett Yoakum and Trent Dostal led the way with two hits each, while Newton and Yoakum each recorded two RBIs. Dostal also caused havoc on the bases, stealing two bags as part of Kearney’s six total stolen bases on the night. The Bulldogs’ aggressive baserunning and sharp hitting proved too much for Winnetonka to handle.

Defensively, the Bulldogs were just as sharp, turning a clean double play to squash a potential rally by the Griffins.

Winnetonka's Dylan Kroll shouldered the bulk of the pitching duties, going six innings and allowing nine hits and eight runs (six earned) while striking out five. Offensively, the Griffins managed just four hits — one each from Kroll, Landon Erwin, Mason Crockett, and Hunter Nading.

With this commanding win, the Bulldogs continue to build momentum as they push deeper into the season. Their combination of dominant pitching, timely hitting, and smart base running is proving to be a winning formula.

The Bulldogs’ next home game is Wednesday, May 7 at 5 pm. Listen to live play-by-play action on 102.7FM starting at 4:30 with pregame.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Bulldogs Dominate Grandview with Fourth-Inning Explosion

Tyler Maynard made 3 rbi’s and hit a homerun - photo by david haggart

The Kearney Bulldogs baseball team delivered a commanding 13-0 shutout against the Grandview Bulldogs on Wednesday, April 30, lighting up the scoreboard with a seven-run surge in the fourth inning that sealed the victory in front of the hometown crowd.

From the first pitch, it was all Kearney. Senior standout Tyler Maynard set the tone early with a two-run blast over the left field fence in the bottom of the first. Cameron Taylor followed with an RBI double, and Caleb Fletchall chipped in a sacrifice fly to give Kearney a quick 4-0 lead.

The Bulldogs added to the tally in the third with a clutch double by Luke Tucking, extending the lead to 6-0. Then came the fireworks in the fourth. Maynard’s RBI double kicked things off before Trey White ripped a single to drive in two more. Kavan Mortensen followed with a bases-clearing single, bringing in three runs, and White capped off the inning with a triple to bring the score to 13-0.

On the mound, Easton Haggart was lights out. The ace right-hander gave up just one hit over five shutout innings, striking out seven and walking three to secure the win.

Offensively, Kearney racked up 11 hits. Taylor was perfect at the plate, going 3-3, while Maynard, White, and Mortensen each tallied three RBIs. The Bulldogs showed great patience at the plate as well, drawing seven walks—two each from Grant Bogert and Brock Scott.

Kearney’s aggression on the base paths kept Grandview on its heels all game. The Dawgs stole 12 bases, with Taylor, Tucking, Bogert, and Trent Dostal each swiping multiple bags. The defense backed up the dominant pitching, turning a double play and committing zero errors. Fletchall led the team with four defensive chances.

Grandview’s only hit came from Chase Ransom, who went 1-2. They managed a double play on defense but couldn’t keep up with Kearney’s relentless attack.

Kearney’s season record now stands at 12-9. The next broadcast of Bulldog baseball on 102.7FM will be on Monday, May 5 as Kearney hosts the Winnetonka Griffins. Pregame starts at 4:30 and the first pitch is at 5 pm.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Bulldogs Top Blue Springs in Midweek Showdown

The Kearney Bulldog baseball team took care of business at home on Wednesday, April 9, knocking off the visiting Blue Springs Wildcats with a 5-2 victory behind strong pitching and clutch hitting.

Blue Springs struck first, pushing across a run in the top of the first inning. But the Bulldogs responded in the bottom of the fourth, when Caleb Fletchall delivered a two-run double to put Kearney in front 2-1 — a lead they wouldn’t give up.

Fletchall, batting seventh in the order, came through in a big way, going 1-3 at the plate and collecting two RBIs. He also shined on defense, leading the team with 10 plays in the field.

Easton Haggart - Photo by David Haggart

On the mound, Easton Haggart turned in a gritty start. The right-hander went five and two-thirds innings, allowing just three hits and two runs while striking out eight. Haggart battled through some command issues, walking five, but managed to keep Blue Springs off balance for most of the night. Owen McDaniel and Brock Scott came in out of the bullpen to close out the game.

Offensively, Grant Bogert led Kearney with two hits in three at-bats. The Bulldogs scattered their offense across the lineup and made their hits count.

Blue Springs showed patience at the plate, drawing six walks and swiping four bases. Carson Bushman and Ethan Melissinas led the Wildcats with two walks each. Despite their aggressiveness on the basepaths and a double play turned in the field, Blue Springs couldn’t crack the Bulldogs' defense or capitalize late.

With the win, Kearney improves their record to 5-5 and builds momentum heading into this weekend’s Jefferson City Tournament.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Bulldog Baseball Finishes Third in State

The Bulldog baseball team traveled to Ozark, MO, last weekend to compete for the Class 5 Title. The team brought home the third place trophy when they shutout Ft. Zumwalt South on Saturday by a score of 1-0.

Bryce Page - Photo by David Haggart

Senior pitcher Bryce Page pitched 6-2/3 innings for the Bulldogs and shut out Ft. Zumwalt South, a team that has averaged eight hits per game this season. Page managed the zone the way that he wanted to. He was moving the ball in and out and he commanded the inside of the zone throughout the game. Page gave up five hits, no runs, no errors, four walks, and five strikeouts.

Carter Cox for Zumwalt went 4-2/3 and gave up five hits, the one hit by Carson Sheer to drive in Kearney's only run, five walks and five strikeouts.

The top of the Bulldogs’ batting order did the damage against Zumwalt. Chase Porter was 2 for 3 with some nice hits and Manny Linthacum continued to be hot as he was 3 for 4 with some nicely executed late count hits. Carson Sheer hit a ball over the shortstops head and got our lone RBI of the game, ultimately clinching the win for Kearney.

Manny Linthacum came in to pitch on relief for Page in the last inning and had a single hit off of him. Zumwalt’s Nathan Mehrhoff ran from second base around third but became trapped in a pickle between third and home. Mehrhoff was finally tagged by catcher Jack Helberg and that ended the game for a Bulldog win.

Helberg tags Mehrhoff at third - Photo by David Haggart

The Bulldogs claimed the third place trophy and broke the Kearney record of number of wins in a season with 30 victories.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.