JEFFERSONVILLE — For each team’s first game of the 2024 season, the Eldred Yellowjackets took on the Sullivan West Bulldogs on Monday. It was a home game for the Yellowjackets, but it was moved to be played at Lions Field in Jeffersonville due to field conditions. On Total Solar Eclipse Day, the game was moved to 11 a.m. with the Bulldogs ultimately eclipsing Eldred, 4-3, in eight innings. 

Each team traded runs in the first inning, with Sullivan West shortstop Evan Ebert scoring on a wild pitch in the top half and Eldred shortstop Mason Tice following suit in the bottom of the frame, scoring with the bases loaded. 

After neither team scored in the second inning, Eldred snagged their first lead of the game in the third. Josh Warming, the starter in the game for the Yellowjackets, helped himself out. Warming got on base via a double before coming around to score on an error by Bulldogs’ catcher Jacob Hubert who overthrew third on a pickoff attempt. 

Neither team scored in the fourth or fifth inning before Sullivan West tied the game back up in the sixth inning. Second baseman Adam Ernst got on base to start the frame and one batter later, center fielder Alec Hubert drove him in on an RBI single. 

The Bulldogs had a chance to take the lead as Jacob Hubert singled and the pair pulled off the double steal of second and third. However, the next two batters went down on strikes – pitcher Haden Nicosia looking and third baseman  John Bernas swinging. 

Eldred took the lead back in the bottom of the sixth as center fielder Joseph Card reached base to begin the inning on an error by Ernst. After stealing second, Card wound up stealing third and racing home as the throw by Hubert sailed into the outfield. 

Warming came out onto the mound in the seventh to try and shut the door on the Bulldogs. However, Sullivan West did not go down quietly as left fielder Austin Nystrom began the inning with an infield single to second. Nystrom stole second and third before a passed ball scored him. The Bulldogs failed to score the rest of the inning and needed a clean bottom half to force extras. 

Nicosia toed the rubber in the bottom half of the seventh and struck out the side, the only baserunner reaching via an error by Bernas. Sullivan West had the middle of the lineup coming up in the eighth inning and took advantage against new pitcher Tice. 

Jacob Hubert, the cleanup hitter, was up second in the inning and was hit by a pitch to reach first with one out. With two outs, Bernas ripped a single to left field to score Hubert who hobbled around third on his way home. Although Hubert seemed in pain, he remained in the game to catch for Nicosia in the bottom half. 

Head Coach Ty Ebert noted after the game that Hubert was fine. 

“He’s a tough kid,” Coach Ebert said. 

Warming led off the bottom of the inning and started things off with a single. He would steal second and third to put the Yellowjackets in prime position to tie the game back up. But first baseman James Dayermind and Card both struck out swinging before catcher Mason McKerrell flew out to center fielder Alec Hubert, who squeezed it to end the game. 

“We gotta put the ball in play more,” Coach Ebert said. “It ended up working out in the end and it’s nice to be on the winning end of that.”

“The bats were okay, but the pitching was really good,” said Eldred Coach Joshua Santoro. “Josh [Warming] had a hell of a game and Tice finished us. But in extras, we just couldn’t get that run to tie the ballgame up. 

Game Notes 

For Eldred, Warming recorded two hits and left fielder Austin Spannos had one hit. On the mound, Warming struck out the side in the first two innings and struck out two batters in each of his remaining innings as he ended the game with 16 strikeouts in seven innings. 

Coach Santoro noted that Warming’s stuff looked great. 

“His fastball was electric,” he said. “He used the curveball when he needed to and he was throwing strikes.”

For Sullivan West, both Nystrom and Bernas led the Bulldogs with two hits apiece while Evan Ebert and Jacob Hubert had a hit each. Brandon Haass started the game on the mound and pitched the first four innings while striking out six. Nicosia pitched the other four innings and struck out seven while surrendering just one unearned run.