*At the plate, leadoff man Chase Porter led the way with a 2-for-3 performance and swiped two of the Bulldogs’ five stolen bases.*

The Kearney Bulldogs baseball team delivered another dramatic finish on Wednesday, walking off the Winnetonka Griffins 3-2 in a tense, back-and-forth battle at Bulldog Stadium.

With the game tied at two in the bottom of the seventh, senior Tyler Maynard came through in the clutch, lifting a sacrifice fly to score the game-winning run and send the Bulldogs and their fans home celebrating.

Pitching dominated much of the evening on both sides. Kearney hurlers combined for five strikeouts, while Winnetonka pitchers racked up 12, keeping Bulldog bats quiet for much of the game.

The Bulldogs broke the scoreless tie in the fourth inning, capitalizing on a Griffins error to take a 1-0 lead. Winnetonka stayed within striking distance and broke through in the top of the seventh, plating two runs on a pair of singles, including the game-tying hit by Oliver Reisenbichler.

Kearney, however, refused to fold. With the game on the line in the bottom of the seventh, the Bulldogs executed perfectly. Timely hitting and heads-up base running set the stage for Maynard, who delivered the decisive sacrifice fly to seal the 3-2 win.

Easton Haggart was solid on the mound, tossing six and one-third innings while allowing just two runs on five hits. He struck out three and walked four. Brock Scott came in to finish the job in relief.

At the plate, leadoff man Chase Porter led the way with a 2-for-3 performance and swiped two of the Bulldogs’ five stolen bases. Grant Bogert and Maynard each drove in a run. Defensively, Kearney played clean ball, turning a key double play and holding strong in pressure moments.

With the win, the Bulldogs continue their string of exciting finishes and build momentum heading into the final stretch of the season.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.