Baseball Blowout: Bulldogs Bash Fairfax

The Stone Bridge Bulldog baseball team scored early and often against the visiting Fairfax Rebels Tuesday night and received a dominating pitching effort from Steven Putnick en route to a resounding 14-1 mercy rule win. The victory improves the Bulldogs’ first place Liberty District record to 9-1. 

Things started out well enough for the visiting Rebels, as they recorded two hits and scored the game’s first run off a Stone Bridge error in the top of the first inning. But Putnick, the Bulldog pitcher, quickly settled in and wouldn't allow another hit the entire game.  

The Rebel pictchers did not fare as well against Bulldog batters, who responded with four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Junior outfielder Josh Kuzbel started the scoring with a long homer to left field. After a hit batter walked, senior Ryan Johnston tripled, pushing a runner in to make it 2-1. Tyler Lighton matched Johnston's triple with one of his own, a bomb to dead center that allowed Johnston to score, making it 3-1. Lighton then scored on a Sid Harvey sacrifice fly and the first inning ended with the Bulldogs leading 4-1.

In the second inning, the Bulldogs exploded for seven runs behind back-to-back homers by Johnston and JJ White, who has signed to play at Penn State next year. Alex Wynn added a run-scoring triple.

The Bulldogs added three more runs in the third, the highlight being White's second home run of the night. Lighton finished with three hits while Spencer Rositano and Kuzbel contributed two hits each. Rositano also flashed some glove with a diving grab caught by Ashburn Patch photographer Chuck Moore. The game was called after the fifth by mercy rule.

The Bulldogs return to action Friday when they host the Langley Saxons.

[Many thanks to Steve Johnston and Bulldog head coach Sam Plank for providing the stats and portions of this article.]