The Andalusia Bulldogs (3-2) got solid pitching performances from Clay Stephens and Nathan Langley, but fell to the Geneva Panthers 3-0 Tuesday night in Andalusia.

 

“Our pitchers competed their tails off,” Bulldogs head coach Tyler Dent said. “They gave up two hits in seven innings, and we lost. I was proud of the pitchers tonight.”

 

Stephens shut down the Panthers in the top of the first by retiring the first three batters in order.

 

Hunter Earnest and Brayden Burkhardt reached to start of the Bulldogs’ first inning, but were unable to bring either around to score.

 

Brennan Aycock reached to start the Panthers’ second inning after getting hit by a pitch. Scott Stough followed with a double that plated Aycock for the game’s first run.

 

Stephens escaped trouble by getting the next three batters to ground out. The Panthers led 1-0 heading into the home half of the second inning.

 

The first two batters of the bottom of the second grounded out for the Bulldogs before Taylor Griffin reached on a walk, but the Bulldogs couldn’t get the runner past first base.

 

Jamison Roney reached to with one out in the top of the third inning, and moved up two bases on a throwing error with two outs. Aycock hit rocket to shortstop, were Burkhardt made a magnificent play to his left and hosed Aycock at first to save a run.

 

The Bulldogs got a two-out hit from Riley Graham in the bottom of the third, but they were still unable to move the runner past first.

 

Stephens got the first Panther in the top of the fourth to ground, but after walking the next batter Coach Dent decided to make a move to the bullpen. Langley entered and got the first man he faced to hit into a double play.

 

Caleb Piper set the Bulldogs down in order bottom half of the fourth inning.

 

Cole Worthy reached first on error to start the top of the fifth inning, and Roney knocked in Worthy a few play later to give the Panthers a 2-0 going into the bottom of the fifth.

 

Griffin led off the bottom of the fifth with a walk, but was picked off by the catcher a few pitches later. The next two Bulldogs were retired on strikeouts.

 

The Panthers scored the final run of the game in the top of the seventh inning. Errors put runners on first and second with one out, and a past ball and throwing error plated the final run of the contest.

 

“I was disappointed in the way the offense and defense played,” Dent said. “When you have two guys throw seven innings and only give up two hits you should win, but you aren’t going to beat many people committing six errors.”

 

The Bulldogs next game will be Mar. 2, at 4:30 p.m., when they face Park Crossing at home in a double header.

 

“We have to come out here tomorrow in practice, and get back to work,” Dent said. “We have to work on our approaches at the plate. It is all mental stuff like swinging on 1-2 slider.”