Bulldogs open season with third place at Forsyth tourney
Photo/Gainesville School The Gainesville Bulldogs took third place at the Forsyth Tournament held March 19-21, members of the team are, from left, (front row) Kristian Lugo, Owen Donley, Lyle Pippin, Dawson Hewett, Grant Leeker, Cutter Morrison, Brayden Miller (back row) Head Coach Blake Hobbs, Joey Baker, Aden Gaulding, Kolby Anderson, Keegan Crouse, Avery Rodrigue, Colby Smith, James Ivie, Kelton Solomon, Marvin Curtis, John Ivie, Landon Treat, and Coach Austin Thompson.
The Gainesville Bulldogs opened their season at the Forsyth Tournament March 19-21. Facing a competitive field in the 28th annual event, Gainesville battled its way to a third-place finish, showing flashes of dominance, resilience and early-season promise.
They wasted no time setting the tone. In their opener against Cassville, the Bulldogs’ bats came alive in a 10-5 win. Grant Leeker set the pace on the mound, working 4 2/3 innings and striking out an impressive 11 hitters on 78 pitches. His command kept Cassville off balance all game long, and his performance carried over to the batter’s box. Over the weekend, Leeker went 3-for-9 with two doubles, a home run, and five RBIs—proving he could impact the game from anywhere on the field.
Gainesville’s second matchup brought a tougher challenge against Blair, Nebraska. Despite a hard-fought effort, the Bulldogs came up short in a 7-5 loss. Still, there were bright spots. The offense stayed aggressive, and the pitching staff continued to compete, keeping the game within reach until the final innings.
Rather than letting the loss linger, Gainesville responded the way good teams do—by bouncing back. In the third-place game against Forsyth, the Bulldogs leaned on both pitching and defense to secure a 3-1 victory. Keegan Crouse threw 5 shutout innings and struck out five to lead the Bulldogs to the win.
During the three-day tournament, Owen Donley pitched 2.2 scoreless innings while striking out four. He also sparked the offense throughout the tournament, finishing 4-for-11 with a double, an RBI, and three runs scored.
Avery Rodrigue delivered steady production at the plate, going 5-for-10 with a home run and three RBIs.
In addition to Crouse’s standout pitching performance against Forsyth, he added a strong offensive showing, going 4-for-10 with a double, a home run, and two RBIs during the tournament.
“Overall, it was a good weekend for us,” said Coach Blake Hobbs. “We were sound defensively and took great approaches at the plate.”
The Bulldogs will have a long stretch at home and fans are encouraged to come and cheer on their home team.
They hosted Reeds Spring Tuesday, but results of that game were unavailable at presstime.
The Bulldogs will host the Gainesville Spring Baseball Tournament March 27-28. Gainesville plays Neelyville at 6:30 Friday. On Saturday, they take on the Bakersfield Lions at 10 a.m. and the Ava Bears at 4 p.m.
On Monday, March 30, they host Mountain View and on Tuesday, March 31, they host Mountain Grove. Those games begin at 4:30 p.m.