Following the end of the regular season, the Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton Bulldogs have pushed their way past their first two opponents of the post-season. Head Coach Cory Jewison and his team of Dawgs let themselves cool down for a few short days of rest before turning the heat right back up to win two post-season games with ten or more runs. First to fall against the Bulldogs were the Schaefer Academy Lions on Wednesday May 20th.
JWP only scored in two innings against the Lions, the first and the third. Four runs in the first set the Bulldogs up for a victory that they would only have to hold on to. Ten runs in the fourth set their opponents up for a loss that they would have to forestall. Bauer led the team in hits with three on the day, but the Bulldogs scored 10 all together. The final score was 14 – 1, a JWP victory.
Round 2 of the tournament took place in Austin, Minnesota at Riverland Community College. The Bulldogs faced Lyle Pacellí and defeated them after five full innings, a walk off 10-0 victory. Quast and Wandrie both scored two hits each, the team scored seven hits total. Ayden Peterson pitched the full game and was well supported by the Bulldogs’ defense. The highlight of the evening was the fifth inning, where JWP won the game by scoring five runs off of two hits. Johnson, Dahlberg, and Bauer were all hit by pitches in the fifth. A walk, single, fielder’s choice, and Bauer getting hit were all causes for the runs the Dawgs scored to win the game.
The Bulldogs remained in Austin for a quarterfinal matchup against the Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms on May 25. These evenly matched squads faced each other on May 12 with JWP taking a 12-5 victory; however, the playoffs added an extra layer of intensity during warmups as one squad sought revenge while they fought to maintain the status quo. Memorial Day highlighted the American spirit during the pre-game but Bulldog spirit erupted following a thrilling 6-5 come-from-behind victory via a walkoff hit.
A gridlocked battle between two formidable teams entered the final two innings as JWP held a slim 2-1 lead; however, the dramatics started with a series of hits by BP to knot the game at two. The Bulldogs bit back in the home half with two runs of their own off a wild pitch and a timely Gearierty single to center. But the Blossoms refused to wilt with their backs against the wall, driving in three runs in the top of the seventh to seize control 5-4. Thankfully, some lockdown defense by Bure at short and Gearierty at second stopped the bleeding, but JWP now faced a three-run deficit with only three outs to spare.
Each at-bat carried significant weight as the Bulldogs entered the final frame, but the senior core of the lineup remained stoic at the plate. Quast drew a leadoff walk then advanced following a Terbeest bunt which allowed Gerdts to drive a shot down the right field line to bring home the tying run. A Dahlberg single to center put runners at first and second which caused a howling roar of JWP supporters to echo.
In the game’s most pressing moments and a chance at the semifinals on the line, Bauer delivered the game-winning knock with a fly ball to left field to score Gerdts. A walk-off victory inspired a dogpile at home plate as the Bulldogs were one step closer to their dream: the State tournament.
After enduring a three-game gauntlet in the span of five days, JWP experienced a brief reprieve before a semifinal showdown against the Southland Rebels on May 30. Coincidentally, these two teams played each other in early May as well with the Bulldogs clinching a hardfought 4-0 victory, so perhaps history will repeat itself once more.
