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Dawgs win 11 games
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The Ceres High Legion baseball team committed five errors in losing 12-2 in five innings to Bellarmine at the 14th Annual Ron Vermulen Tournament at Art McRae Field in Ceres on Saturday.

"The score wasn't indicative of the Ceres team or pitching," said Bellarmine coach Gary Cunningham. "They're well coached. They played hard and hustled. I was very impressed with the way they swung the bat. We just made a few less mistakes."

Said Ceres coach Tim Williams: "I'm disappointed that we lost but I'm not disappointed with the way we played (in the tournament)."

The Bulldogs managed to compile a .500 record this summer even though they lost all four games at the Vermulen tourney. They lost 6-4 to Sheldon on Wednesday, 7-2 to Davis (Yolo) on Thursday and 4-3 to Oakdale on Friday.

Three of the four teams Ceres played made the playoffs during the 2003-2004 school year. Davis won the Division I section title.

The Bulldogs didn't make the playoffs. They won one of 18 games in league.

"We're doing things better right now," said Williams, whose team went 11-11 this summer. "The kids are playing hard and dedicating themselves. We're looking forward to next season. It could be a fun and exciting year."

Ceres starting pitcher Hector Reyes allowed 10 runs, three earned, and seven hits, and had three strikeouts and four walks in four innings against Bellarmine.

Ben Ruder, Bellarmine's ace pitcher, gave up one unearned run and one hit, and struck out four and walked one in four innings.

"He (Reyes) threw really well," Cunningham said. "He should have gave up just one run in the first inning at the most."

Bellarmine scored six runs in the top of the first thanks in part to two Ceres errors.

Tommy Medica walked, pinch runner Greg Shannon moved to second on Nate Garcia's bloop single to center field and Robert Papernhause reached first when Brian Borges misplayed a fly ball in right field.

Shannon scored from third on Kevin Madden's infield single. Garcia scored on Erik Goeddel's grounder, which was booted by Luis Malagon, Ceres' shortstop.

Ruder, Bellarmine's No. 8 hitter, drove in Papenhouse and Madden with a line-drive single to center. David Abraham followed with an RBI double to right field.

"When you give any team five or six outs in an inning, it's tough," Cunningham said.

Added Williams: "Defensively, we kind of fell apart for a couple of innings."

Ceres made an error in the third inning and Bellarmine ended up scoring four more runs.

Goeddel walked, advanced to second on an error, and scored when Brad Bauer lined a single off the left-field fence. Abraham followed with an RBI double into the right-center gap. Bauer scored on Medica's sacrifice fly to left field.

Garcia, Bellarmine's No. 3 hitter, knocked in Abraham with a double to the right-field fence.

Ceres scored its first run in the bottom of the third inning.

Danny Munoz reached first and moved to second on a throwing error. He scored on a passed ball.

Derrick Goblirsch collected Ceres' first hit of the game. The Bulldogs' third baseman broke up Ruder's bid for a no-hitter when he singled to left-center in the bottom of the fourth.

Bellarmine scored twice in the fifth inning to extend its lead to, 12-1.

Anthony Renteria walked, moved to second on Shannon's double to left and scored on Madden's single to center. Shannon scored from third on Eric Jauch's infield fly, which was misplayed by Tresenrider, Ceres' first baseman, and Jake Garrett, Ceres' second baseman. The ball dropped between the two.

The Bulldogs scored their final run in the fifth.

Conrad Valor took first after being hit by a pitch and courtesy runner Brent Avila moved to second on Tresenrider's bloop single to right.

Avila scored when Jauch, Bellarmine's relief pitcher, fielded Munoz's slow grounder and threw wildly to first.

Borges' summer season ended before the final inning.

He was rushed to the hospital after fouling a pitch off his face in the fourth inning. The ball struck him just below his right eye.

"He started feeling dizzy and got a nose bleed," Williams said. "I'm pretty sure he'll be fine. He just needs to rest." - By DALE BUTLER / Staff Reporter of The Ceres (Calif.) Courier