When perennial foes Goochland and Gretna meet, it’s usually on the gridiron for a tough-as-nails playoff game that often decides the eventual state champion. The two teams met again on Monday but this season’s confrontation came on the baseball diamond in the Region B quarterfinals.

  The Bulldogs came up one run short against the visiting Hawks, dropping a hard-fought 8-7 decision in extra innings.

  “It’s a tough loss,” Bulldog Coach Wes Farkas said following the game. “We had some chances and didn’t take advantage. It really shouldn’t have been that close in the end, but a couple of fielding errors and some mistakes on the bases really hurt us.”

  Gretna took advantage of a complete game performance by pitcher Cory Owen to capture the victory.

  “He’s our ace on the mound,” Gretna Coach Calvin Takata said. “He’s won a lot of games for us. We’ll either live or die with him.”

  Gretna had its chances early in the game, but couldn’t capitalize. In the first inning, lead-off batter Michael Mayhew doubled followed by two walks to load the bases, but a double play ended the inning with no one crossing the plate.

  “I thought we should have taken advantage of that first inning, but it didn’t work out,” Takata said.

  For Goochland, third baseman Ben Verlander scored the Bulldogs’ first run in the bottom of the first with a single, a stolen base and a trip home when starting pitcher Alec Moore drove him in from third.

  But Gretna came back to knot the game at one when Coleman Osborne singled for the Hawks in top of the second, and scored on a base hit by Jonathan Pinguille.

  Goochland went up 3-1 in the bottom of the second, but the Hawks answered with a big third inning.

  With the bases loaded, Tyler Lecik lofted a shot to center that eluded Bulldog defender Tyler Carter and three runs scored for a 4-3 lead.

  The Bulldogs answered with three in the bottom of the third, and led 6-4 after three complete.

  The Hawks loaded the bases again with one out in the top of the fifth, and Brandon Meadows scored when Lecik sac flied to bring Gretna within one. Bronson Cocke scored on an RBI by Reese Wilmoth and the score was tied 6-6.

  Gretna secured the win with two runs in the top of the eighth inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, Verlander walked Owen and Pinguilley scored. Gretna got an insurance run when Brandon Cocke was hit by a pitch, making the score 8-6.

  Goochland answered with one run in the bottom of the inning but couldn’t move the tying run across the plate, and the Hawks lived to play another day.
  The Bulldogs end their season with a 15-7 mark.

  Farkas said he’s proud of this team’s performance, even with the disappointing loss to the Hawks. “This is a great group of guys and we only lose three of them for next year.”

Gretna…..........................013 020 02 — 8 7 6
Goochland…...................123 000 01 — 7 8 3
Owen and Rouff; Moore, Carroll (4), Verlander
(6) and Henley. L: Verlander
Highlights: Tyler Lecik (Gretna) 1 for 3, 4 RBI;
Ben Verlander (Goochland) 2 for 3, double, 2
runs; Alec Moore (Goochland) 2 for 3, 3 RBI, run
Records: Gretna n/r; Goochland 14-7