Andalusia fell to the Headland Rams 3-1 Tuesday at home in area baseball action.

 

“They did everything right,” Bulldogs’ head coach Tyler Dent said of Headland. “We put together some good swings at the plate, and Hunter Earnest was outstanding on the mound. He put is in position to win, and that is all you can ask for. Good thing about this is, we get another shot at them tomorrow.”

 

The Bulldogs took an early lead in the bottom of the first inning when Todd Wright stole home to give his team the 1-run advantage.

 

Headland answered back in the top of the second inning.

 

Headland’s first batter of the inning laced a line drive to left field, and Andalusia’s left fielder misjudged the ball allowing it to go all the way to the fence for a three-base error.

 

A single from the next batter knotted the score up at 1-1.

 

The Rams threatened to score more, but Hunter Earnest managed to get a pair of strikeouts to skirt the threat.

 

After a strikeout started the bottom of the second, Taylor Griffin reached first with a single, but was erased a few pitches later by getting picked off at first.

 

In the top of the third, the first Rams’ batter crushed a ball to center field, but Riley Graham got on his horse and made a great running catch for the first out.

 

The Bulldogs got a walk from Chase Hopkins to start the bottom of the third, but couldn’t get around to score.

 

Headland led off the top of fourth with a single, followed by a double that put the Rams up 2-1.

 

With a sacrifice fly from the next batter, the Rams were up 3-1.

 

Griffin thwarted the Rams’ chances at any more runs in the fourth when he gunned down a runner attempting to steal third.

 

Nathan Langley got a one-out hit in the bottom of the fourth, but the Bulldogs were unable to get him past second.

 

After giving up a hit to start the top of the fifth, Earnest bore down and retired the next three batters in order.

 

In the bottom of the fifth, Earnest smoked a ball straight back at the pitcher, who somehow stuck his glove out to snag the ball before it blistered into center field.

 

The Bulldogs had another chance to score in the bottom of the sixth when Brayden Burkhardt doubled to right center to start the inning. Burkhardt moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Todd Wright, but was thrown out trying to score on the fly ball.

 

The Bulldogs were retired in order in the bottom of the seventh to end the game.

 

Burkhardt led the Bulldogs at the plate by going 2-for-3 in the game.

 

The Bulldogs will travel to Headland today for a doubleheader with the Rams with the first game starting at 4 p.m.